Fate vs Free Will
by nycscribe46
Summary: 5th year fic. Now an AU. Predominantly a Draco fic. With an honorable representation of Harry and co. Under going serious revisions. For you Lucius Malfoy fans: prepare for the darkness. New chapter coming soon.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: This story takes place before, during, and after the Immortal Trio's fifth year at Hogwarts. This story will mainly be about Draco, however. [audience gasps in shock] Even I feel kind of weird about that. I like to read stories about Ron, myself. Basically, anything where he's not killed off or turned into a cold wraith is good. As long as our ickle Ronniekins is happy, I'm happy. *bats eyelashes at Ron*

Ron: *blushing* Don't call me that.

nycscribe46: Okay, how about this? *lowers voice an octave* As long as our tall, gorgeous, auburn haired sexy boy is happy, _I'm_ happy. *leers suggestively*

Ron: "…"

Draco: *appears out of nowhere* I thought this story was about _me_! *pushes Ron off a cliff*

nycscribe46: Ron! Noooo! *leaps after Ron*

Draco: Stupid muggle. 

nycscribe46: *yells from a ledge on the cliff wall* I heard that! *glances down at Ron* Hang on, Ron! Draco, help us!

Draco: Why the hell should _I_ help a muggle and a Weasley?

nycscribe46: Jerk. Hmm, I feel a nice, sappy Harry X Draco fic coming on…

Draco: *pales even more, if possible* You wouldn't.

nycscribe46: Try me.

Draco: *conjures a rope* Damn you.

nycscribe46: *whispers* Don't tell Draco, but I don't own Harry Potter, or any characters or places that are obviously the creation and property of J. K. Rowling. On with the fic!

Fate vs. Free Will

By nycscribe46

Prologue

Kayla Ross set down her Game Boy sadly. Her mother had finally come through on her threat. 

'If your room isn't clean by Friday, I'm stealing your boyfriend away until it is.' 

Her boyfriend being a pocket sized electronic toy, it wasn't much of a challenge. Her mother took it away, and Kayla sat on her bed, disgusted. She didn't have _time _to clean her room. She was busy with other stuff…really important stuff. Like getting Dominic to notice her. Hanging around the basketball court in his neighborhood seemed to do the trick, until he discovered her complete and total lack of hand-eye coordination. Plus, he lived in Yonkers, and it made her late, having to take the train back home to Manhattan.

Her parents were starting to worry.

Maybe she should just give up. Maybe Nicole was right. Maybe Dom _was_ gay. 

"Oh, damn it all to hell," Kayla muttered, searching beneath a pile of clothes on the floor for her wand. She could at least clean her room faster, and get her Game Boy back. At least it had never ignored her to stare at another boy's ass. God, she'd been blind. And she'd made a complete fool of herself, once Dom remembered that Kayla lived in Manhattan. And then she'd tried to play basketball. Ugh. That had been pathetic.

Kayla found her wand at last, and proceeded to put everything in its rightful place as fast as possible. If she was doomed physically, and couldn't fly a broom to save her life, then at least her work with a wand was second to none. The slacks and jeans appeared to fold themselves, and slip onto hangers and into drawers as if by magic. Which it was. Kayla was a student at the Manhattan Intra Secular School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and she had just completed her fourth year.

And this was supposed to be the summer that she got a boyfriend who didn't run on batteries.

Kayla sighed, and looked at herself in the mirror. She pushed her hair out of her face. Maybe it was her hair. It was black, just past her chin, and chemically straightened. Naturally, without a perm, it was a kinky nightmare that looked like it belonged in a shower drain somewhere. But she'd taken care of that, and hopefully, no one remembered how she'd looked when she was eleven, anyway. Her eyes were brown, but so dark they appeared to be as black as her hair. She had dark brown skin like her mother's. Some said they looked alike, but fortunately, Kayla's nose was not nearly as large as her mother's. Her father had a smaller nose, which she'd inherited, and lighter tan skin, which she had not. It was all for the better anyway, Kayla thought. He scarred and sunburned far too easily.

Kayla stopped analyzing her features long enough to put away the last of her clothes, only to hear her father yell up the stairs,

"KAYLA!!!"

"I've cleaned it, I swear!" she cried. It had only looked so bad for a few months, he shouldn't be _that_ mad.

Kayla stuck her wand in her back pocket, and raced down the stairs.

"Give me my boyfriend back, Mother. I cleaned my room. Go look, if you don't believe me."

"I believe you, dearie. Here, take the freeloader," said Ebony Ross in her smooth Georgia accent, handing Kayla her Game Boy.

Mrs. Ross then turned to her husband.

"Now what was so important that you had to use that dreadful bellow, hmm?"

Charles Ross sighed. It had seemed like good news when he'd left the office, but now he had to tell his family. Gulp.

"I've been promoted," he started.

"Hooray!" shouted Kayla.

"That's wonderful, Charles!" Ebony hugged her husband tightly. Strangely, he didn't hug her back.

"It's the kind of promotion that you can't refuse."

"That good, huh?" smirked Kayla, who was oblivious to her father's dreary undertone.

Ebony was not.

" 'Can't?' " She repeated warily.

"Apparently I've done so well here, they want me to represent our product in another area. Permanently. I'm to go there and stay with it, until it sticks, and remain to see it through till the end. Which is my retirement, it seems."

Charles' rich voice had lost all of its cheer. Kayla was reminded of Grandfather Ross' voice when he told her that her puppy had gone to Jesus.

"Where?" Ebony asked, fear evident in her voice.

"London."

Silence. Then…

"WHAT!?!"

"First we have to leave Atlanta to come here, and now this? I don't believe this crap!"

"It's not my fault. I don't know what to tell you. I'm sorry, but it's either this, or I try to find a new job-"

Poor Charles felt the burn of two sets of identical coal black eyes staring at him angrily.

"Which would be difficult if I left my current one under such circumstances…"

The heated glares reduced slightly. Kayla and her mother looked at each other and sighed. They turned back to Charles. He had no idea what was coming; he hated it when they seemed to communicate with their eyes alone, and ganged up on him like this.

"Charles, dear, it is not your fault you're the best sales associate they have, and they want to use you to their advantage," Ebony started soothingly.

"But you could stand to develop a backbone, Dad!" cried Kayla desperately.

Charles decided to use the last weapon in his arsenal.

"My pay has increased to a six figure sum."

Ebony was silenced.

Kayla was not.

"I still have to change schools. Again. It's not fair."

"There's a good wizarding academy in Scotland…"

Kayla put two and two together.

"I have to go to a BOARDING SCHOOL!?!"

Charles shrank from the thunder that was Kayla's angry voice. Yes, she had indeed inherited his bellow. And from a female it could be deadly.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'll do anything to make it up to you."

Kayla shut her mouth immediately. Her mind went to work.

"At least twenty regular season and five playoff Braves games, every season, until I graduate."

"Done."

"Sir, we have a deal."

Kayla shook her father's hand and ran up the stairs to pack, shrieking with happiness. So she had to move. Who gave a damn? She was going to at least twenty-five Braves games every season for the next three seasons. She practically drooled. She had to buy film. Screw that, a video camera. Oh, wait until Nicole found out. She was going to _die_.

Kayla put her favorite CD on, and turned it on as loud as she could. 

Ebony heard the familiar opening sounds and rolled her eyes. 

"Yes, yes, yup!" said Kayla happily.

"You're too easy," Ebony told her husband, who sighed.

"Welcome to the Kayla extravaganza…" Kayla continued.

Charles put his head in his hands. At least his daughter was happy. And it was better than hearing her bellow, right?

Kayla sprinted down the stairs and began to sing and dance to her favorite song,

"…Can't touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable, shake the unshakeable, it's Kayla, baby, can't see the unseeable, reach the unreachable, do the impossible, it's Kayla baby, can't move the unmovable, stop the unstoppable…"

Modified a bit, obviously.

Kayla, the biggest Jay-Z freak in the Eastern hemisphere, continued to shake and shimmy, posing and placing emphasis on the mention of 'unwrapped the gift and the curse in one session,' and winking at her father, who couldn't help but laugh along with her.

Ebony was on the phone, complaining to her twin sister.

"I tell you, Opal, it begins again. This time it's permanent. I thought that we'd have to spend a year in New York, and then get to come back home. But it's not to be. What! Mother says she knew this would happen? Put the old biddy on the phone, Opal. I can't believe this."

The song died down, along with Kayla's exuberance. Grandma Merewether did have accurate predictions occasionally. She went upstairs to turn off the stereo.

"Kayla," her mother called. "Grandma wants to talk to you."

Kayla picked up her extension and waited for her mother to hang up.

"Hello Kayla," started her grandmother.

"Did you know about this?" Kayla demanded.

"I knew that the waves of change had not ceased their motions upon your shore."

"Lovely," muttered Kayla. As usual, her answers were cryptic and obscure.

"I wish to speak with you about your gifts."

"Which ones are those now?"

"The ones you inherited from me. The power to feel the emotions and energy of others."

"Oh. It doesn't really work, Grandma." She only felt things from members of her family, and could only sense the energy of someone she knew. She couldn't tell that Dom didn't like her, she thought bitterly. What was the use of having empathy if it only worked with people who you knew so well they would probably tell you what was bothering them anyway?

"It must. It will. It passed your mother, therefore it belongs to you. It will speak, and you must listen. Never ignore a sign from your heart. You are one who is to be guided by your feelings and senses."

Kayla sighed. This was a new angle, but it was the same Grandma. She didn't have the power like Grandma did. She certainly couldn't see the future. Divination was a joke to her.

"Okay, I'll pay attention to what my senses tell me, but honestly, Grandma, they really don't say much."

The old woman's voice turned to steel. She was not to be ignored.

"This time they will be saying plenty. And they will be split. I can see the divide as clear as day."

"Split? My senses will be split? What does that mean?"

"You will be divided. Your mind will be confused. There will be a fork in the road. But you will know where to go."

"I sure hope so," Kayla grumbled. Grandma could be scary sometimes. But you just knew she was right. Well, because she was. Always. It was a lot to live up to. Kayla was supposed to be the heir to all this. But she wasn't a seer. And Grandma never said she would be. It would probably be Nicole, she thought. Aunt Opal didn't get the gift either. It was nice to know that she wasn't alone. Nicole was going to sucked into this too.

"Hey Grandma, can you put Nicole on?"

"All right, dear. Remember what I said."

"Yes, Grandma."

Nicole picked up the extension in her room, which looked extremely similar to Kayla's. In other words, both rooms resembled miniature Atlanta Braves Halls of Fame. The girls themselves looked alike too, seeing as their mothers were identical twins.

"Hello?"

"Hi Nick-Nick!"

"Kay-Kay! What's up?"

Kayla didn't even mention that she was moving to London.

People in Atlanta turned around, wondering where all that screaming was coming from.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco will be in the next chapter, I promise. I had to do the back-story, obviously. I wanted it to be funny. I hope I succeeded. I don't own Rocafella Records, or Jay-Z's hit record 'Hovi Baby'. Now ya'll go run out and buy The Blueprint2: The Gift and the Curse, you hear? J And don't forget to review!

Chapter One- First Impressions


	2. Chapter One: First Impressions

Author's Note: Okay, we'll be skipping all of those Braves games (aw, shucks!) to go straight to September 1st and get to where the story really begins. I don't like using first person, so the point of view shall remain omniscient. Okay, let me shut up so you can get to the story.

Fate vs. Free Will

Chapter One: First Impressions

By nycscribe46

"Dad, we're going to be late!" Kayla shouted. She was supposed to catch the train to her new school at eleven o'clock sharp, and it was 10:30. She looked at her mother nervously.

"Five more minutes and we leave him," Ebony assured her daughter calmly.

"Oh, good."

Kayla checked for the tenth time that she had everything she would need for the next nine months. She hated going away from home. Not that she was used to calling this place 'home' at all. But she didn't have a choice in the matter. They'd left New York a few weeks ago. Charles had sent an owl to the headmaster of Hogwarts (what a ridiculous name, Kayla thought.), and she was transferred into the most prestigious wizarding school in Europe. According to the rag that passed for a periodical around here.

"Okay! Let's go. See, I didn't make us late." Charles huffed, having finally found his left shoe.

"And with thirty seconds to spare," muttered Kayla.

They drove to the station and made it in time. Ebony and Charles tried not to make a big deal out of it, but Kayla had never even gone to summer camp before, much less boarding school for the better part of a year. The only thing propelling Kayla on was the signed baseball in her suitcase. And the picture of Andruw Jones with his arms around herself and Nicole. 

Two more years of 'Meet and Greet the Atlanta Braves' was enough motivation for Kayla to walk through Hell. She would deal with Hogwarts.

Kayla took a deep breath, hugged her parents tightly, and pushed her cart through the enchanted column that signified Platform 9 ¾.

She went through with her eyes open, and saw black, and then a very busy platform, with many tearful goodbyes between parents and children, and people lugging suitcases that resembled hippopotami. She shook her head, and wheeled her cart to the luggage car. Kayla took out her wand and arranged her things neatly, and then folded up the cart and put it in her purse.

She noticed people glancing at her occasionally. Well, she didn't know anyone yet, so she smiled back, and waved a little. And then she would have to find somewhere to sit. She decided to walk straight to the back of the train, remembering a game she had played with Nicole, trying to terrify each other to death.

'Worst case scenario,' Nicole would say. 'You sit in the front of the train to be near to the conductor, so you won't miss your stop, and you'll be the first to know if something went wrong.'

'That sounds all right,' Kayla had said, puzzled. 'What's the scenario?'

'The tracks are out, and you're the first to know, but when the conductor pulls the emergency brake, you're too close to stop in time, so he detaches the rest of the passenger cars to save their lives, and you die with him.'

'What's _wrong_ with you?' Kayla had cried. Then she thought for a moment. 'Wait a minute. Is this before or after the Braves' next World Championship?'

'Oh,' said a horrified Nicole. 'Before really _would_ be a worst case scenario.'

Kayla smiled at the memory, and peered into the entry of the last passenger compartment. Sitting inside was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. He was reading a book, and hadn't noticed her. She silently thanked God that she had decided to wear the Braves jersey that was tailored to fit her body, rather than the large authentic jersey that dwarfed her already slight frame.

"Hello," she said hesitantly, clutching her purse as she hovered in the doorway, waiting for the blond haired angel with pearly skin to look up.

He did, and then looked back into his book again.

Kayla frowned. She crossed the threshold of the compartment and sat down next to him.

He turned, apparently surprised that she was still there.

"In case you haven't noticed, this compartment is occupied."

Kayla answered right back,

"In case you haven't noticed, there's plenty of room for one more."

The boy opened his mouth, and then shut it again. He stared at her.

"Who are you?"

"Kayla Ross. And you?"

"Draco Malfoy. You must be new here." He said this with a peculiar look at her.

Kayla smirked.

"What, are you the school leper and no one remembered to tell me?"

"Of course not." Draco glanced at her shirt. "_What_ are you _wearing_?"

Kayla glanced down at herself, wondering what the big deal was.

"It's a baseball jersey. I wear it to school all the time. What are _you_ wearing?"

She pointed to Draco's black cloak.

"What's wrong with my cloak?"

"It's boring. Don't tell me that's the school uniform."

"No, but you will get house robes to wear after you've been sorted. I wonder what house you'll be in," Draco mused.

"What are you talking about?" asked Kayla, mystified.

"You are a first year, aren't you?" 

"No, I'm not. I'm a fifth year. I transferred from Manhattan Intra Secular."

"Didn't they have houses there?"

"No, they had classes. Well, I suppose a boarding school would be different than a day school. What year are you in, Draco?"

"I'm a fifth year as well. Ross, hmm? Are all of your family wizards, then?" he asked casually.

"Well, we don't really have a sign outside our door saying so, but everyone on both sides is capable of performing magic. Satisfied?" she teased.

"Not even close. Why did you transfer to Hogwarts?"

Kayla sighed.

"My father has a wonderfully mundane job promoting and selling products. His company loves him so much, they want to use him everywhere. This is the second time I've moved in a year's time. I can't take much more of this. It seems every time we move, it gets colder and rainier."

Draco laughed quietly.

"Welcome to Scotland." He pointed to the window. Sure enough, it was raining.

"Oh _no_," Kayla gasped. She immediately opened her purse and searched for her collapsible umbrella. She imagined herself putting one foot outside of the train in that horrid weather, and her _hair_. She didn't even want to think about it.

Draco watched Kayla rummage through her bag, and couldn't help smiling a little. She had walked right in as if she had no idea who he was, and it turned out that she didn't. Even after he told her his name. And had she actually insulted him? It was a clever joke, he had to admit. Why should she fear him? Part of him wanted her to, wanted her to learn what the name Malfoy meant. The other part rather liked having someone around who was neither a servant nor an opponent, like everyone else in the school was. The other Slytherins feared him. They weren't really friends.

And everyone else was so self-righteous. Like they were better than him or something. She didn't act like that. Draco noticed that the pile of odd items from her bag had accumulated. He poked at a few of them. One beeped at him. Kayla looked up and laughed.

"Want to feed her for me, Draco?"

"Feed who?"

"Licuadora," said Kayla. 

Draco just stared blankly at her.

"My cat. No, I did not put a live animal in my purse. It's a digital pet. I named her blender in Spanish because-well, it's a long story. Give me that blue thing over there."

Draco handed her the thing that had beeped at him.

Kayla turned it so Draco could see the little cat on the LCD screen.

"See?"

Draco saw, but he still didn't really _see_.

"What's the point?"

"It gives you something to take care of. Something to love. I've been having trouble finding real ones, myself." Kayla mentally smacked herself on the forehead. She couldn't believe she had said that. Great. Tell the cute boy that no one will date you. He'll start to wonder why, and decide that you can have the compartment to yourself and leave.

"I don't see why. You're pretty enough, and nice too." Draco wondered why he had told her that. Yes, he thought she was pretty, but- She was looking at him now. She looked like she was trying not to laugh. He glared at her, angry with himself. He never should have-

"Thank you, Draco. I appreciate the compliment. You're too kind." Kayla gave up and allowed the huge smile she had been fighting back to present itself. Draco had a very odd expression on his face. At first he'd looked as though he was about to scowl at her, but now he looked very confused.

"Draco?"

"Yes?" He snapped out of it.

Kayla decided to throw caution to the wind and be forward.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Draco decided to put Pansy Parkinson in the rubbish bin where she belonged and be honest.

"No."

Kayla smirked at him.

"Hmm, I don't see why not. You're pretty enough-" she mussed up his hair, causing a very satisfying gasp of shock- "and nice too." Kayla laughed at the look of betrayal on Draco's face.

"I couldn't help it, Draco. Your hair was screaming, 'Liberate me, Kayla.' Look, if it's that serious, I brought a fine toothed comb." Kayla reached into the apparently bottomless depths of her purse and retrieved a thin black comb.

Draco stared at the handle of the comb. It looked like a sharpened, whittled down silver knitting needle.

"Is that a comb or a weapon?"

"Both. Now let me fix your hair."

"Yeah, right!" Draco jumped up and backed away from her. "After an answer like that, do you honestly expect me to let you use that thing?"

"For goodness' sake, Draco, I was only joking. I use that end to part my hair, honest. Now sit down." She pointed at his seat. He sat reluctantly. She went behind him, her chest pressing against his back, knees on either side of his hips. She held in a giggle when she heard his sharp intake of breath; she was so bad, and she knew it. But he didn't get up.

"I think, that if I weren't a witch, I'd probably be a hairstylist," Kayla said calmly, as she parted Draco's hair in the opposite of the way he usually did. She could tell; there was practically a rift on one side of his head, where he'd combed the hair to the side for years. It wasn't that visible, unless you were looking for it. Kayla did like to do her friends' hair.

"What are you doing? I can't see," Draco complained. His hair was in his face. He wondered if it was really necessary for her to do his hair from the position she was currently in. Not that he minded…

"Just a minute. I'm giving you a new look. Don't worry, it's completely reversible. When I'm done, if you don't like it, I promise I'll comb it back into the same boring style it was in before, to go along with that boring cloak you're wearing."

"It's not boring. It's practical. Besides, I thought you said you were from New York. Doesn't everyone wear black there?"

"Number one: 'It's practical?' You sound like my father, Draco, and that is not a compliment. He is a very weak man. Don't be like him. Number two: I'm not from New York; I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. The home of the Braves." Kayla leaned over his shoulder so he could see her and pointed at her chest with the comb.

"Got it," Draco muttered.

"Third: Everyone does not wear black in New York. That's Seattle."

"Good grief, Kayla. I didn't ask for a Muggle Studies lesson."

"And I didn't give you one. So shove it. Now, how's that?" Kayla slipped from behind Draco and opened a compact mirror so he could see what she'd done.

"I look like a fop."

"You do not. You look very attractive to women. Trust me."

Draco glanced up at her with a raised eyebrow.

Kayla thanked the Lord that her skin was too dark to show a blush. She'd parted his hair and combed most of it to the left, leaving a fringe to curl about his temple. He'd been angelic when she first saw him. Now he looked positively sinful.

"Oh, really?"

Please, God, don't let him be psychic, Kayla thought desperately.

"Shall I comb it back?" she said aloud.

"No, it can stay." 

Kayla nodded and put away her comb, along with the rest of her things. Two rather large boys paused in the doorway, looking at her curiously. She stared back, and then looked at Draco. He flicked his head to the side, and the boys vanished.

"Who were they? Your henchmen?" she teased, fixing his hair back with her fingertips.

Draco sat perfectly still as she did this, feeling the soft touch of her hand against his forehead.

"No, they're just in my house. I'll see them later."

"I think you'll see them rather soon. We're here."

Draco stood, noticing that he was half a foot taller than her. She glared up at him.

"Don't feel special. I'm shorter than _everyone_. No wonder you thought I was a first year."

"Well, that, and the fact that you actually came into my compartment."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No one told me it was quarantined!"

Draco hadn't laughed that hard in years.

Kayla smiled at him and opened her umbrella over both of their heads. Draco took it because he was taller, and discreetly shooed Crabbe and Goyle away, who shrugged and walked ahead. Hagrid was calling all the first years to him as usual. Draco steered Kayla away from him.

"You're not really a first year. Why don't you stay with me?" Draco asked.

Kayla smiled back.

"Why not?" She linked her arm with his and they got into a carriage. Kayla laughed at Draco's efforts to collapse the umbrella, and finally had to reach over and do it herself.

Kayla peered out at the huge castle that was her new school. Draco studied her, watching her reaction to everything. It would certainly be different from anything she had encountered in New York or Atlanta, that was for sure.

Once they reached the school, there was the ordeal of opening the umbrella again ('I'll be damned if my hair's going to get ruined. And I just did yours!'). They walked into the school, arms still linked, and somehow their hands had sought each other out as well. Draco was well aware of all of the eyes on their backs, but Kayla was still looking around in awe of everything. They entered the great hall, and Kayla realized how segregated everything was. Four large tables, and no one was going from one to the other or anything. Not even to talk. She wondered which one Draco belonged to.

Or rather, from the way he was acting, and the way he was looked upon, which one he owned.

Draco led her to the table near the far wall. He nodded to several people sitting there, and everyone made room for him. She sat beside him, now wishing she'd worn one of those 'work robes' her mother had purchased, claiming it was on the list she'd gotten from the school. She would have fit in a lot better. It seemed that the wizarding population in this part of the world was mainly Caucasian. On top of that, she was the only person in the room not wearing a black cloak or robe of some kind. Unless you counted the professors at the head table, but they were wearing brightly colored robes that her mother would have called outlandish.

"I thought you said that the black cloaks weren't a school uniform?" Kayla hissed at Draco, who shrugged. 

"Normally it isn't. But this _is_ the start of term banquet. Hmm. Maybe I _should_ have said something." He smiled innocently at her.

Kayla sighed, and then laughed helplessly. She couldn't be mad at him. She knew it. She was completely smitten.

"So what is this sorting into houses you referred to earlier?" she asked.

Draco's face became serious.

"You'll have to try on an enchanted hat, and it just places you where you belong." He looked into Kayla's eyes. _You belong with me,_ Draco's eyes seemed to say.

"What house are you in?" Kayla whispered. Draco opened his mouth to answer.

"Kayla Ross!" a stern female voice rang out.

Kayla stood up automatically, and releasing Draco's hand, quickly headed to the front of the room. Whispers sprung up all over the room, to her chagrin. Maybe you weren't supposed to sit at a table until you'd been told to by the hat, she thought. Geez, how formal.

"Sorry, Ma'am," she apologized.

"That's all right, Miss Ross. Sit."

Kayla sat on the chair, and a worn old wizard's hat was placed on her head.

Hmm, said a small voice in her ear. Kayla muttered to the hat, "Well? Where do I belong?"

You'd be fine just about anywhere, said the voice. 

"We haven't got all day!" Kayla whispered.

But you're almost equally divided. You're split, murmured the voice.

"What!" Kayla practically growled at the hat. "Just pick one! People are waiting!"

You care for people, said the hat. That's the difference. I know where I'll put you!

The hat shouted loud enough for the whole hall to hear, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Kayla sighed with relief at the hat finally deciding _something_, and handed the hat back to the professor with a smile. She whispered to her, "Where shall I go?"

The professor smiled back and pointed to the table in the center of the room. Kayla sighed; it wasn't Draco's house after all. The students there made room for her, and she sat down, immediately making eye contact with Draco, and shrugging. She didn't know why she didn't wind up in his house. He nodded back slightly, but his eyes looked colder, somehow. And he'd smoothed his hair back, away from his face. Kayla looked in front of her at all the food that had appeared, but she had lost her appetite.

"Excuse me," said a dark haired boy sitting across from her.

"Yes?" Kayla asked wearily. She suddenly felt very tired.

"I'm just wondering, how did you wind up sitting with the Slytherins?"

"The who?"

"The Slytherins." The boy jerked his head at the table behind the one they were sitting at.

Kayla shrugged.

"I just came in with Draco and sat with him until my name was called. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to sit there. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you're a Gryffindor. It's just odd, that's all." The red haired boy next to him looked like he wanted to say something, but his friend stopped him.

"She didn't know, Ron. Leave her be."

"Kayla?"

Kayla turned to see a brown haired girl.

"I'm Hermione Granger. You look a bit old to be a first year. Are you a transfer student?"

Kayla nodded numbly.

"What school did you transfer from?"

"MIS. Manhattan Intra Secular."

"Oh, what's it like there?"

"Very, very different. It's a day school, for one thing. And there aren't any houses, either. Students are just randomly placed into classes. Why all the segregation? I don't understand." Kayla kept looking at Draco. Who wasn't looking back.

Hermione noticed this. She leaned over the table conspiratorially.

"You fancy him, don't you?" Kayla nodded miserably.

"Well, he's in Slytherin, and you're in Gryffindor, now. Our houses are enemies, and there's a really big rivalry. He takes it seriously, and so does everyone else. He might not speak to you any more. It's nothing personal."

"Oh, that's a relief," Kayla muttered. "I really don't need this. That damn hat. Arrgh!" Kayla suddenly growled loudly enough to frighten those sitting nearest to her, and stalked angrily out of the Great Hall. Hermione followed, sympathetic. Especially considering that Kayla had no idea where the dormitories were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like? Didn't like? Think it ought to go in the rubbish bin with Pansy? Review, please!

I tried to make my Draco 'evil' enough, but he isn't expecting Kayla to act the way she does, so he's unprepared, and thus she gets under his skin. Muahaha!!! Looks as if Grandma Merewether gets another notch on her prediction belt, eh?

Next: What _is_ going on in that head of yours, Draco? Hmmm?

Chapter Two- Inner Turmoil


	3. Chapter Two: Inner Turmoil

Author's Note: Erm, here it is. Picking up where we left off, because chapter one was already too long to squish this part in too. Enjoy.

Fate vs. Free Will

Chapter Two: Inner Turmoil

By nycscribe46

Hermione found Kayla leaning against a wall in the corridor. She looked up at Hermione gratefully.

"You know," she started, "this place is too big. I just realized that I had no hope of finding anything by myself."

Hermione nodded.

"Gryffindor's this way. Come on. Your things have probably already been brought up. And besides, even if you did find it, you don't know the password."

"Password? Well, that makes sense. You wouldn't want anything to get stolen. But what if someone from your house steals things? You'd have no idea who it was."

Hermione looked taken aback.

"No one in Gryffindor would steal from another Gryffindor. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"How ideal," muttered Kayla. Hermione gave her an odd look, but didn't say anything.

They reached a large portrait at the end of a hallway, after going up countless staircases. Kayla practically collapsed on a couch after Hermione told the picture, "Ordinary Wizarding Levels."

"Kayla, I've got to get back to the Great Hall, because I'm a prefect. I'll see you later, all right?" Kayla nodded, and went up to the girl's dormitories, where she changed, and lay down on her bed. Why the hell is this happening to me, Kayla thought. He won't talk to me any more because I'm in a different house dormitory than him? What the hell? Kayla hoped that Hermione was overreacting, but the girl didn't seem the type. She gave it to you straight. She wouldn't joke about something like this.

Kayla sat up suddenly. How did she know that? She had only just met Hermione. Was her empathy working? Maybe her grandmother was right. But it was just too much. She sucked her teeth, frustrated. It just figured, didn't it? Meeting Draco like that was just too good to be true. Everything had happened so fast, she almost couldn't believe it. It was like a dream.

Maybe it was. Kayla felt the depression she had fought so hard to escape begin to descend upon her. She rummaged through her bag for the one thing that would help. She turned on her extremely portable CD player (it was the size of her palm) and put on Jay-Z. The first song came on, and she sank back onto her bed.

__

It was all a dream

Last night I had a dream, thoughts was racing through my head, 

It was all a dream

Felt so real to me, this is what was said, oh…

***

Draco watched Kayla discreetly. She looked very confused. He saw Potter speak to her, and then elbow Weasley, who was silenced. Kayla kept looking at him, but he couldn't allow himself to look back. Pansy sidled next to him, putting an arm around his waist.

"Well, that was interesting. Care to explain?"

"There's nothing to explain."

Pansy straightened up, looking at Draco incredulously.

"What are you talking about? You walk in here with some tart on your arm, and sit down with her at our table, and then she gets put into _Gryffindor_, of all places, and you have nothing to say?"

"It doesn't make sense," Draco muttered to himself, ignoring Pansy completely. He had been so sure she would be in Slytherin. She was a pureblood, and… 

__

And she liked me, Draco thought. She wouldn't even pay attention to his condescending attitude. She even zinged him for it, and then continued as if he'd said nothing at all. She was willing to look past it and see him, he realized. She did belong in Gryffindor.

She was too good for him. Draco's eyes narrowed, and his face took on the look that Pansy was used to. Angry and resentful.

"Now that's better," she said approvingly. "Draco-"

"Arrgh!"

Draco's head snapped up at the sound. He watched Kayla storm out of the hall. Granger followed her. He almost stood, but kept a tight rein on his emotions and remained in his seat.

"Well. What was that about?" wondered Pansy, along with everyone else in the room. She watched Draco's face, looking for a break in the mask. There was none.

Draco noticed Pansy looking at him.

"Are you asking me? How should I know?" he said, sounding bored. Pansy let it drop.

Granger returned shortly, and led the first year Gryffindors to the Gryffindor dormitories, which was her duty as a prefect. Draco caught her looking at him as he left the Great Hall, but she turned quickly. He wondered how much Kayla had told her, and how much she had told Kayla about him. Not that it mattered. The battle lines had been drawn years ago, and there was no crossing them now. Kayla would learn.

But somehow he knew that the stubborn girl he had met on the train would definitely be one to buck the system. If she really wanted him, she would ignore what all her classmates said. He decided to wait; what could he lose by letting her come to him? It was the smart thing to do. He would look even more desirable if a Gryffindor was in pursuit of him. In the recesses of his mind, he admitted that there was another benefit of letting Kayla do all the work.

He wouldn't have to admit how much he liked her, too.

***

Kayla was already asleep by the time the other Gryffindors arrived at the dormitories. Hermione noticed that the girl's music player was still on, so she switched it off and gently removed the headphones from Kayla's head. Lavender and Parvati glanced at the sleeping girl, and then at Hermione.

"I really don't think it's my business to tell," Hermione confessed.

"Hermione, we all saw who she'd been sitting next to," reminded Parvati. "It's got something to do with him, doesn't it?"

Hermione looked uncertain.

"I don't think that's it. Not all of it."

"Don't tell me she actually _wanted_ to be in Slytherin?" Lavender asked dubiously.

Hermione didn't say anything, and Lavender and Parvati moved on to other gossip. Who was dating who, and other such blather. Hermione ignored it as usual, and began to read a book about ancient runes. It was true that their O.W.L.s weren't until June, but still…

***

Kayla was laying on her back in a sea of darkness. At first she thought she was dreaming, but as she stood up, she knew where she was. She was on the astral plane. How did I get here, she wondered. The last time she'd been on the astral plane, she'd had to go into a deep trance, and it was so she could sense Dom wherever he was. It had taken a long time to get there, and it hadn't even worked. She hadn't been able to find him. But now she was here, seemingly without effort. 

The last thing she remembered was laying down and turning her CD player on. She must have fallen asleep. But then how did she get onto the astral plane? And why? Kayla looked around. She vaguely recognized the astral form laying on the 'ground' a few yards away from her. She 'walked' over to it. It was Hermione. She was laying on her back, asleep. Kayla studied her form for a few moments so she would remember it. That was how she could sense her family, but with them it was automatic. She just knew them, like they were part of her.

Kayla also recognized the astral form of the boy who had spoken to her in the Great Hall. She didn't know his name, but now she knew his energy. His astral form was odd. She could see 'him' but there were others present within his form. Not like a possession; she shivered. She'd never seen one, but her grandma had, and had been called upon to excise the possessor. No, this was as if the remains of two other people's energy had fastened themselves within him. He was marked with conflicting and constantly warring forces. 

Her empathy had reacted to them; it was so strange. She could feel the love someone had felt for him; see it running through his form. She could see the destruction someone else had tried to render; feel the hatred, although the love had removed most of the sting, bits of the other mark remained. She knew who this boy was. She shook her head sadly. What a pity. He would never know the person who had loved him so.

Kayla felt something strong pulling at her suddenly. She released Harry Potter's sleeping astral form and allowed her own astral form to be drawn toward another. She knew whose form it was instantly. It was Draco. His astral form was beautiful. She knelt beside him. He was asleep. She ran a hand across his face. He didn't stir. She didn't expect him to; most people didn't have the power to move freely across the astral plane. At the most, he could only react to what she did. Her grandma had implied as much when she was instructing her on astrophysical tendencies.

She put her arms around him, and looked at his face. He looked so innocent. She figured it couldn't do any harm, and he would never even know she'd done it. So she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. And his astral form's energy seemed to envelope her in its warmth. She'd never felt anything like it. Her energy surged forward to meet his, and it was like he became part of her. She gasped. 

Draco's eyes opened.

"Kayla," he murmured.

"Oh!" she said, startled. Then she was blinded by a sudden ray of light that had no business being in the darkness of the astral plane, and was snapped back into her body.

Kayla sat up in her bed, feeling like she'd just had a bucket of cold water thrown on her.

"HOLY _SHIT_!" she said, a bit loudly. Far too loud for early morning, anyway.

Everyone else in the room grumbled, annoyed. 

"Sorry," Kayla said sheepishly. She definitely wasn't earning any brownie points today. 

But there was no way she was going back to sleep now. She didn't know what had just happened, but she knew she was changed. Everything was different; she could feel the energy of everyone in the room. She didn't know them all like the back of her hand yet, but she knew that she could, now. She had to call her grandmother. Oh, wait. She'd forgotten that her cell phone wouldn't work here. No Verison towers here, that was for sure. She'd send a letter by owl post instead. It would take forever, but she had to know.

What had just happened to Draco and herself? He would definitely remember what she'd done now. Maybe he would think he had dreamed it. She tried to remember. What did an ordinary person see in the astral plane? Not that Draco was ordinary, not at all. But he probably didn't have the Sight. Funny how it was called that, but it was more of a feeling, mostly. She'd probably just interrupted one of his dreams. She wondered what he would dream about. She didn't delude herself. It probably wasn't her. 

But she could feel him, as if he were right beside her. It was as if he was a bright light, so bright it shined through all the walls between them. If she got up, she could find the Slytherin dormitory just by going to him. She wanted to go to him so badly. He had to feel something for her. She hadn't even had to look for his astral form. It had drawn her to him. 

And he'd seen her. What did it mean? She still had a connection to him, an almost tangible cord. She 'tugged' it. And gasped out loud, as she felt his energy move in response.

She'd woken him up.

She suddenly felt very grumpy and tired. Pissed at having a very good dream interrupted.

But she hadn't-

Then Kayla realized that the emotions she was feeling weren't hers.

They were Draco's.

***

Draco had been asleep, dreaming about being on the train with Kayla. She was behind him, fixing his hair. Suddenly he stood and turned around, holding her wrists tightly. She dropped the comb, and looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed her firmly. "Kayla," he murmured in her ear, as she put her arms around him. The dream had been about to progress beyond the boundaries of PG-13 behavior, when he had the strangest feeling that someone was calling him, and was roused out of his sleep. He sat up in his bed. Of course, no one was there. 

What the hell was that, Draco wondered. It felt like someone had pulled at his very consciousness. And out of that dream. Damn. He glanced out at the darkness creeping in from the window. It was very early in the morning. He lay back on his bed and tried to get back to sleep. And stop thinking about Kayla. She was the least of his problems. His father was pressuring him, with increasing urgency as he got older, to step up to the inner circle of Death Eaters, and receive the Dark Mark.

But he wasn't sure he wanted to join his father in a life of servitude. Because that's what it really was, and that's how Draco saw it. Serving Voldemort, always being second, or third, or whatever cardinal position was left. Yes, it was what he'd been trained for and expected to do since birth, but his parents had to have realized that they had raised no one's servant. And Draco wasn't blind. He knew what the Dark Lord was doing, making sure that Draco accepted him as his master before he finished his studies at Hogwarts, and possibly became more powerful than Voldemort himself. 

Draco knew better than to simply refuse his father's advances on the behalf of Voldemort outright. He'd long ago realized that the welfare of his son did not come before the wishes of his master in the mind of Lucius Malfoy. Draco needed to find a way to stave off what fate had in store for him. Luckily, his father had assumed that the appeal of being the second most feared wizard of the age had been adequate reparations for being essentially a glorified servant. A slave. His father was wrong. Draco was ambitious, but he wasn't stupid. He wanted to be powerful, but he knew that no matter how powerful he became, if he bore Voldemort's mark, the Dark Lord would have complete power over him.

Draco continued to conceal his true opinion of his father's chosen life beneath a veneer of respect and general obedience. Not too obedient, he still tried to claim more than he was allotted so as not to create suspicion. He acted the way he was expected to. And his father pretty much left him alone, with the periodic reminder that his time was coming. And the occasional test to see if his skills with the Unforgivable curses remained sharp. Which they were. This kept his father relaxed. If he delivered a powerful wizard to his master in the form of Draco, he would remain in favor. 

Draco's freedom was doomed. Lucius Malfoy's position with Voldemort was the most important thing to the man. He would let nothing stand in the way of it, especially not a piddling thing like his son's life. Draco wondered if there was any way out of it, short of killing his own father. That was an option. His mother would forgive him. Probably. He wondered if she would even care. She'd be free. They both would. Unless she'd deluded herself into believing that their relationship was one based on love rather than the purity of their blood. 

So his only plan was to kill his father if he tried to make him enter that damnable slave ring of Voldemort's. He wondered if he'd be a wanted man then. What would the Ministry rather, he give in to his father and become a Death Eater? He didn't have a choice. If his father was smart, he'd take Draco's wand before they went to his initiation. Just in case his father had developed a brain, Draco decided to obtain a gun. His father definitely wouldn't be expecting that. Ha, imagine that. Lucius Malfoy, killed by his own son, using a Muggle weapon. Draco smiled. If it came to that.

Draco saw the sun come up, and consulted his class schedule. Potions with the Gryffindors. Well, he'd be informing Pansy that she would have to find a new seatmate for that class. Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Charms were also with the Gryffindors, while Herbology and Transfiguration were with the Ravenclaws. And Arithmancy, as well as History of Magic, were with the Hufflepuffs. He hoped the new DADA instructor, Professor Prisciandaro, was better than the last one.

***

Kayla got ready for Potions as quickly as possible, shutting off her empathy and energy sensing powers. It was too distracting. She didn't want to know what that great sense of relief she'd felt from Draco just before dawn meant. He'd probably just used the bathroom or something. Eww. 

Hermione had explained to her about the classes, and offered to show Kayla where everything was. Kayla had been extremely grateful, and apologized, because she was most likely going to become Hermione's second shadow. 

Lavender laughed.

"No, that's Ron…"

"He is not!" protested Hermione. No matter how many times she told Lavender and Parvati that she and Ron were just friends, they just wouldn't listen. She decided that more force was needed behind her words.

"Aieee!"

Kayla watched, amused, as Hermione attacked Lavender and Parvati with a pillow.

"We're."

*smack*

"Not."

*smack*

"Going."

*smack*

"OUT!"

*smack*

Lavender and Parvati giggled and nodded in agreement.

"Right. Sure you're not."

"If you say so, 'Mione."

"Good." Hermione put her pillow back on her bed. "Let's go to class, then. Potions is in the dungeons, Kayla." Kayla adjusted her robes and got her books, while Lavender and Parvati picked the feathers out of their hair.

As they entered the Gryffindor common room, the rest of their housemates milled about, getting ready for class. Two boys approached Hermione and Kayla.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself properly last night. I'm Harry Potter." He extended a hand in greeting.

"Kayla Ross." She took his hand and shook it firmly. Then she turned to his taller, redheaded companion.

"Ron Weasley," he said, shaking her hand as well.

"Hello, _Ron_," Kayla said genially, with a sidelong look at Hermione, who narrowed her eyes at her. So this was Ron, Kayla thought evilly. Oh, he was cute, too. She was going to torture Hermione to the end of her days. If she thought Lavender and Parvati were bad…

"Let's go to Potions, shall we?" said Hermione through gritted teeth. "We wouldn't want to be late."

Harry nodded, as they left the common room and started down the stairs.

"Snape will try to take us out of the running for the house cup in the first week, even if we're on time. Better not give him an actual reason to deduct points."

"That's horrible," said Kayla. "Why would a professor do such a thing?"

"He's head of Slytherin house," explained Ron. "He'd do anything to help them win, and he obviously doesn't like Gryffindors. Which reminds me-"

Harry shot Ron a look that said _Watch your mouth_.

Kayla didn't miss any of this.

"What?"

Hermione sighed.

"It's about Draco Malfoy. He hasn't been very kind to us, and Ron thinks you should stay away from him." She looked at Ron. "Is that about all?"

"All? Well, let's see. He's been absolutely evil since the first time any of us met him, he's been horrible to all of us, especially you, Hermione. I just wanted to warn you, Kayla. He's a bad sort. I don't know what you were thinking, Harry. Why shouldn't she know what he's _really _like?"

"Because she shouldn't dislike him because of what we say, when she can see for herself. I'm not going to prejudice you against anyone, Kayla. You've got eyes." Having had his say, Harry was silent. He nodded to Kayla, and continued walking to class.

"Thank you, Harry. I appreciate the concern, Ron, but Harry's right. If he's as bad as you say, I'll deck him. But he was awfully nice to me yesterday." Kayla smiled.

Ron stared at her in disbelief.

"Malfoy? _Nice_? You've _got _to be kidding-"

Hermione elbowed him, and they entered the potions room, a few minutes early. Kayla saw Draco, but continued to follow Hermione to the center of the room. Or tried to. Draco seized her wrist and held it. Kayla turned around slowly.

"Sit," he told her. So she sat down beside him and set her books down on the large black double desk.

"Hello, Kayla." he said, looking into her eyes. His blue-gray eyes were like lasers to Kayla, but she closed her eyes before she could fall under their spell.

"There's something I have to ask you, Draco," she said, eyes still closed.

He let go of her wrist.

"What is it?"

She opened her eyes. And released the controls of her empathy and energy senses. The intensity of the connection hit her, and she took a deep breath.

"Did you have a dream last night?"

Draco's cheeks took on a slightly pink tinge.

"No."

She knew he was lying. She could feel his unease like it was her own.

"Draco, it's really important. I have to know. What did you dream about last night?"

"Why do you want to know? Why is it so important?" Draco was stalling. He couldn't believe this. Of all the questions to ask…

"Just tell me!"

"All right! You really want to know? I dreamed about us. We were…" Draco paused, and looked around to see if anyone was listening. Pansy was glaring at him, but that was because he'd forced her to partner with Zabini. He turned back to Kayla, who was smiling at him. 

"Draco, were we kissing in your dream?"

He stared at her.

"How did you know?" he whispered.

Kayla giggled. Poor Draco must have been dreaming about her before she'd practically molested his astral form. He hadn't seen a thing.

"Don't worry about it, Draco. I'm sorry I had to drag the information out of you."

Draco looked relieved. Just then, their professor entered the classroom. Stalked in is more like it, with a dramatic swirl of his robes.

Professor Snape fixed the class with a glare, Slytherins excepted. Then he decided to see who had actually done their summer reading. And who had not.

Kayla gulped. She'd spent the summer sleeping outside Turner Field, praying to the baseball gods.

Draco's smirk was filled with confidence, as usual. He excelled in potions. And it didn't hurt that the instructor was the head of his house.

Professor Snape started with his favorite victim-eh, pupil, that is. 

"Potter. What is the key ingredient in the draught of de-venery?"

Harry looked at Ron. Ron shrugged. Hermione nearly blew Neville over with the wind current her vigorously waving hand was creating. As usual, she was ignored.

Snape moved on to another student. Draco was prepared, of course.

"Malfoy?" Snape said expectantly.

"The key ingredient in the draught of de-venery is gentian. The flower, not the root."

Snape nodded, and then his gaze moved to Kayla.

"Miss Ross. What is the base for the draught?"

"Ah…"

Kayla racked her brain for the answer. She had read of this before. She felt a surge of confidence from Draco, and she remembered.

"Columbine powder, Professor Snape."

"Correct. You will all be creating draughts of de-venery for my inspection. The draught should appear pale green, and have a consistency no thicker than that of water. Any disparities are unacceptable." With that, he went to his desk and observed the class attempt to follow his directions.

Draco gave Kayla the relatively easy job of measuring out the ingredients, while he sifted the columbine powder, and added it to the boiling water in his cauldron. Kayla finished crushing the gentian with her mortar and pestle, and watched Draco's slender hands and long, graceful fingers, as he carefully added the crushed petals and stirred the solution slowly. The gentian, once added, turned the liquid a pale, almost translucent green. Draco then turned the fire down to a low simmer, and smiled at her. She smiled back. 

"Perfect," Draco said.

"Yeah," Kayla agreed, already in a trance from looking in his eyes. She was beginning to wonder if he was part Veela or something.

Not everyone in the class was having as much luck with their de-venery draught, however. Harry thought it had turned out all right. As a safety precaution, Harry had put in just a little more water. He didn't want it to boil dry. Ron thought it was too thin when he examined the finished product, though.

"It's all right, Harry. I'll just turn it up a little and boil the extra water off," Ron said calmly, as he turned the fire under Harry's cauldron up a bit.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Harry nervously. He didn't like the idea of raising the temperature of a mixture after the ingredients had been added. And he couldn't quite remember what the draught of de-venery was supposed to do.

"Sure. What could happen? There, that's better. I'll just turn it off, and-"

The draught kept boiling, even after Ron turned the fire down. It boiled over the edge of the cauldron. Harry and Ron jumped away from it, but to their surprise, the green bubbles went straight up into the air.

"What the…"

Snape, who had been walking around checking cauldrons, was not pleased.

"Obviously, Potter and Weasley did not follow the instructions, and kept the draught at a high boil rather than a low one. Intolerable actions. Twenty points from Gryffindor."

Snape finally turned and caught Hermione, who had been charming the bubbles to float harmlessly near the ceiling, rather than flow out onto the floor and do God only knew what to Harry and Ron.

"Miss Granger." said Snape in a cold, unfeeling voice.

Hermione sighed, and coaxed the draught into going back into the now cool cauldron. She'd heard Ron's ominous words, of course, but she'd had her hands full with Neville, who was her partner, and only wanted to help. But he was hopeless in Potions, and had a history of causing catastrophes. She couldn't be everyone's den mother, for crying out loud.

Draco had been very amused by all of this. Kayla had tried not to laugh, but had to hide a smile behind her hand. Draco had made it look so easy, how could they have messed up? As long as you followed the instructions in your Potions book, it was child's play.

Snape approached Draco and Kayla's desk and peered into their cauldron.

"Excellent job, Malfoy. Miss Ross."

"Thank you, Professor," they both said at the same time. Snape moved on to the next pair of students. Kayla sighed with relief.

"You know, he's not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. Harry made him sound like the antichrist," she whispered to Draco.

Draco's eyes narrowed when he heard her mention Potter. But he kept his face civil and replied in a low voice.

"He rewards the students that deserve it. The ones who work harder than others."

Kayla shrugged.

"Potions is hard, though. I study, but…" Her voice trailed off, as Draco took her hand in his.

"I'd be happy to help you during your free time," Draco said with a smile.

Kayla nearly swooned from all the lust and affection she felt from Draco just then. She frantically tried to close off their connection, but for some reason, she couldn't.

Draco seemed to sense her panic.

"Are you all right?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"No, I-I'm fine, Draco." She saw no reason to worry him. She'd tell him about her powers later.

Class was dismissed an hour later, without any other mishaps. Kayla had been planning to go to the library and check out some books. The curriculum of Hogwarts was a little different than what she was used to. But it seemed as if Draco had other plans, and she just couldn't resist. Was she actually considering giving up time alone with him to go study?

"Well?" Draco was looking at her expectantly.

"I'll see you later, Hermione," Kayla called over her shoulder. She took Draco's hand.

"So where are we going?" she asked. They were walking in a different direction than the one she had come from to get to the classroom.

"Someplace we can be alone. A place no Gryffindor has ever been before." Draco smirked at her.

"My dorm."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, Draco obviously doesn't know about Harry and Ron taking the Polyjuice potion and making an appearance as Crabbe and Goyle. But you knew that. I think Jay-Z should be paying _me_ for blatant advertising. I don't own 'A Dream', the song performed by the lovely Faith Evans, Jay-Z, and the late, great Notorious B.I.G. Anyway, let me know what you think, people! Review! Even if you hate it, and think my Schnoogle membership should be revoked.

Next: Kayla and Draco. Alone. In Slytherin House, possibly Draco's room. Ah, the possibilities…

Chapter Three- Double Disclosure


	4. Chapter Three: Double Disclosure

3

Pansy watched incredulously, as Draco actually held the hand of that Gryffindor bitch. She would not stand for this, this blatant disregard for tradition. Pansy nearly shook with anger as she gathered her things. Draco and that girl were already in the hall. As Pansy left the potions room, she realized where Draco intended to take her. And it wasn't the astronomy tower. If it had been, Pansy couldn't have cared less. If Draco wanted to have a bit of fun, that was his business. But to make a show of it like this was unacceptable.

And now they were going to Slytherin House. He was heading straight for their dormitories. Pansy followed them, determined to...well, do something. They had an image to keep up. She did, anyway. Pansy's eyes became narrow slits. She could be ruthless when she wanted to. If he made her look like a fool, he would regret it.

Kayla glanced up at Draco, who was exuding confidence, as usual. She would have laughed, had she not been a bit preoccupied. He resembled John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. He walked like he owned the place.

''Um, Draco? I was under the impression that, well, it was somewhat frowned upon for people to go into houses other than their own. I think it's dumb, but if it's school policy-''

Draco stopped walking and looked at her.

''Do you want to be with me, Kayla?''

Well, when you put it that way...

''Yeah, of course, but-oh, screw it. Let's go.''

They'd reached the entrance to Slytherin House, when Pansy appeared behind them.

''What do you think you're doing, Draco?''

Draco turned slowly, and gave Pansy an innocuous little smirk.

''We're going to go work on some Potions assignments. Get Kayla here caught up,'' he said innocently.

Pansy glared at him, and then fixed Kayla with an even nastier look.

''Gryffindors aren't allowed in Slytherin House. I don't know what Draco told you-''

''And I don't think it's any of your business what we're doing, or where we're doing it. So back off.'' Kayla had had quite enough of Pansy's attitude. That was her warning tone.

Evidently, Pansy hadn't taken the hint. She tried again with Draco.

''Don't do this, Draco. The consequences will not be very,'' she took a long, meaningful look at Kayla, ''pretty.''

Draco's grip on Kayla's hand tightened. Kayla stared at Pansy, not believing what she had just heard.

''Are you threatening me? You must be out of your Goddamn mind. Trust me, girl. You don't want a fight with me. Not over something as stupid as-'' Suddenly Kayla turned and looked up at Draco with a question in her eyes.

''Is she your ex-girlfriend or something?'' Kayla kept an eye on Pansy, who looked as if she might pull out her wand and curse them the second they weren't looking.

''No, she is not. She's just having a problem letting go of old, outdated customs.'' Draco was looking at Pansy as he said this, and his eyes said, Don't involve her in this.

Pansy smiled back maliciously. Her eyes answered, No fucking way. It was too late. Draco had shown that this girl meant something to him, and she would be used accordingly. Pansy couldn't believe her luck. Not only would she maintain her position, she might actually do some climbing. Where it counted. Not in piddling school hierarchy, but the real deal.

Pansy replied coolly, ''Draco, you'll just have to explain to her that you can't see her anymore. She'll just get in the way of the ritual. And if that happens, you know it's my responsibility to alert our master. If you don't deal with it, he will.''

Draco's blood ran cold. To think that all this had started because Pansy was jealous. Now she had just laid all her cards on the table. She was going to try to use Kayla against him. He refused to panic. It wasn't like Pansy had Voldemort's ear at her disposal. There was only one person she could contact who might listen. He'd just have to convince him that Kayla meant nothing to him. Future Death Eaters weren't allowed to care. Unless it was for someone like Pansy, who couldn't wait to get the bloody Dark Mark on her arse.

''What the hell are you talking about?'' Kayla released Draco's hand, and approached Pansy in a very hostile manner. Pansy didn't like the look in the girl's eyes. She actually backed away, but Kayla took hold of her cloak and pulled Pansy towards her until they were practically nose-to-nose.

Pansy looked at her defiantly, but saw no fear in Kayla's black eyes. They seemed to bore into Pansy's own aqua eyes, until Kayla slammed Pansy against the stone wall suddenly. Pansy cried out in pain and slumped to the ground, tears starting to run down her face.

''Don't mess with me.'' Kayla turned her back on the girl. Pansy jumped up to retaliate, but Kayla had been expecting it. Kayla whipped around, and introduced her fist to Pansy's face. Pansy stumbled back and reached into her robes for her wand.

Draco had his out in seconds, and had it pointed at Pansy's head.

''That's it. Run away, Pansy. Run away, and convince your superiors that you can't handle your own problems. That you aren't worthy of their affiliation. You won't gain anything from this. I'll see to it.''

Pansy gave him one last hateful look, and then ran off. Kayla looked at Draco. He put away his wand, and sighed.

''I think we need to talk,'' Kayla said solemnly. ''And not about Potions, either.''

Draco nodded. He had no idea how he was going to go about this, but he had to tell her something. He turned to the portrait, and told it the password. The man in the picture raised his eyebrows at the golden lion embroidered on Kayla's robes, but didn't say anything.

There were other Slytherins in the common room, who were all very startled to see Draco walk in with a Gryffindor, but they didn't get a chance to comment. Draco took Kayla's arm and walked briskly to his room, closing the door behind them. Kayla looked around, and muttered to herself, ''Of course he's got his own room...''

Draco looked at her.

''Never mind,'' she said hastily. Like that was important.

''About Pansy,'' Draco started.

''Pansy's psychotic,'' Kayla interrupted. ''I have something I need to tell you too. But feel free to explain to me what you were talking about out there. That has got to be the most two-faced conversation I have ever heard. And you were scared for a minute. I want to know why.'' What could Pansy possibly do to him, Kayla wondered.

''I-I can't tell you.'' Draco looked at Kayla's face and knew that he couldn't let anything happen to her. Pansy didn't know it, but she'd won. Damn her.

Kayla saw and felt Draco's fear and concern for her. She wanted to ask him a million questions, but she could feel his determination to keep her safe. It was like a wall of steel. It almost made her want to cry. She thought about what Draco and Pansy had said to each other and tried to read between the lines. Their master. A ritual. Their superiors. The whole Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry fit in there somehow. There was some higher up person they had to answer to. Someone powerful. Someone Draco feared.

Draco was a very smart person. Kayla decided to trust his judgment and pry no further. If he was devoted to keeping her alive, it was good enough for her. She pulled him down onto his bed to sit beside her.

''All right. I know why you won't tell me. And I understand. At least what I have to tell you won't get you killed. Probably.'' Kayla smiled weakly.

Draco closed his eyes wearily. How could she joke at a time like this? He had half a mind to chase her out of his room so he could think of what to do if Pansy did actually call his father.

''What is it, Kayla?'' said Draco, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Kayla felt his despair, and rather than tell him, she tried to show him. She deliberately projected her affection for him, overloading their open connection with fondness and warmth. She looked right at him when she did it.

Draco looked up, feeling like he'd just eaten a pound of chocolate. He saw Kayla's deep, dark eyes, filled with affection, looking at him.

''I'm an empath,'' she whispered, taking his head in her hands. ''And I have the Sight.''

''What does that mean?'' he asked, confused by both what he was hearing and feeling.

''I can feel emotions. And energy. I can roam the astral plane freely. I was there last night. I saw you. I felt you. You drew me to you, and I don't rightly know what happened after that, but I was pulled back into my body. That's when I realized that we were linked somehow. Remember when you woke up this morning?''

Draco nodded. He'd felt as though someone was calling him.

''Was that you? Can you communicate with me through this link?''

Kayla tried to explain.

''Sort of. Not verbally. I'm only an empath. I feel emotions, and now that we'92re connected, I think you can feel mine. And I can feel yours. It only used to work with my family, but something happened to us on the astral plane last night. I knew how I felt about you before then, but I couldn't tell how you felt about me. My empathy wasn't that strong."

Draco covered her hand with his own.

''You know how I feel about you now, don't you?'' Draco had known since they got off the train that he wasn't letting go of her. He didn't even have to think about it, he just looked in her eyes, and his feelings flowed into her. Kayla shuddered from the intensity of it.

''Yes,'' she whispered. Draco pulled her to him in a tight embrace. He ran his fingers through her hair, and placed his hand on her chin, tilting her face upward. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He realized that she could feel what he was feeling, that he loved having her in his arms, but didn't think it would last. That something was going to happen to ruin everything. She felt the joy along with the apprehension. He'd killed the mood with his very thoughts.

He kissed her in an attempt to rectify it. Knowing that this might be the last time he would get to be alone with her like this. Pansy was not going to give him the one thing he needed most, and that was time. Now that he knew that events might be sped up at an inconceivable rate, the time for planning and plotting was over. Actions would be taken. It was the most dangerous time of all. And Kayla would not get caught up in it.

Kayla felt the joining of a strong chain of emotions. Devotion and determination. Somehow she got the feeling that Draco was not thinking in terms of devotion to his studies, or anything else as trivial. She pushed him away gently, making sure that she reinforced the physical action with a soothing emotional push, saying that she wanted to kiss him too, but now was not the time.

''Draco?''

''Yes?''

''Don't get yourself killed. If you do, I'll feel it. Most likely it would kill me as well.''

''What? How do you know?''

''My grandmother has the same powers I do, as well as Foresight. She trained me. She warned me before I came here that my powers would mature, and they would tell me what to do. I think what they're saying is that I belong with you. I want to help you. Please let me. I know what you're involved in is much too big for you to handle alone. But you won't tell me, because you're afraid that I'll get hurt. But, Draco, you and I, we're the same. If you hurt, I hurt. If you die, I die. There's no point in you going in alone to save me. So let me in.''

Draco thought furiously, trying to think of a way to get Kayla out of this. It was his life. But like it or not, she was part of his life now. He could feel her inside him. And he had to admit, under different circumstances, he'd have been glad to move Kayla in. But-perhaps there was a way for her to help him after all. But first he had to see just how much of her was Gryffindor, and how much had potential to be used in this fight.

''Kayla.'' She awaited his answer impatiently.

''Why did you fight Pansy with your hands rather than your wand? Things could have ended a lot quicker if you had used magic.''

Kayla shrugged.

''Instinct. I just wanted to feel it when I hit her. She threatened me. I had an urge to inflict pain. Show her not to mess around with me. I think I need anger management. But that's not the point. What are you going to do?''

''Do you think you can use your empathy against people? Make them feel pain or any other emotion you chose?''

''Maybe. But it's unethical. And until you learn to close off your end of our connection, I won't even attempt it. It's too dangerous. I could seriously hurt you psychologically. Whom am I supposed to be using it on?''

Draco considered telling her. For about a second.

''I can't tell you yet. The less you know, the better. But I do have to tell you this. Don't trust my father. If he approaches you, you don't know me. I'm a classmate, nothing more. Do you understand?''

Kayla nodded.

"Is he the one-''

''No. Don't worry about it. It's very unlikely that the person Pansy was referring to will make an appearance at Hogwarts. I don't suppose I have to tell you to keep all this to yourself?''

''Of course not. And the same with what I told you? No one else here knows about my powers. Or our connection. We're going to have to work on that. In Potions today, you were unintentionally sending me some very intense emotions, Draco. It became difficult to concentrate.''

Kayla smiled. Draco's face bore a semblance to a smile. Barely.

''How do I turn it off? I don't even know what it is, really.''

''I know,'' said Kayla. ''Just, um, concentrate on me. Reach for my feelings with your mind. You should be able to do it now.''

Draco focused on the emotions of Kayla that he felt present in his mind and followed them to their source. He felt the connection, an almost physical presence in his mind that he hadn't even noticed, probably because he'd been thinking about Kayla before it had even been made. He'd felt a sense of completion ever since he'd first held her hand. Talked to her. Laughed at her jokes, even when they were at his expense.

He'd known, on a subconscious level, that she belonged with him.

Kayla felt Draco reach for her instinctively, and pulled him into a mental embrace. She heard him gasp, unused to the intimacy. It was intense, almost overwhelming. She saw the euphoric look on Draco's face. It was almost funny, the way his eyes were closed, and his mouth slightly open in a small round 'o' of surprise. Kayla touched his face, and he opened his eyes. Draco let out a shaky breath. That mental stuff was almost too much. The physical aspect, however, was something he could handle quite well, and he let Kayla know it. He was learning how to communicate his emotions very well. Kayla couldn't resist. She leaned forward and kissed him passionately. Draco pulled her closer to him without breaking the kiss, and felt her relax in his arms.

Kayla pulled back so they could both breathe, and said ruefully,

''I think we were supposed to working on teaching you to close off the connection, Draco.''

''Er, right." Draco sighed.

''Well, you know what it is, and you definitely know how to use it to, ah, reach me. You know.'' Kayla grinned. ''That was the easy part. Now you have to try and shut it off. I had to do that this morning. It was very distracting, going through every emotion you did, as well as my own. You're going to need all your faculties, if you're to deal with whoever is making you so scared.'' She put a hand on Draco's arm. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but Voldemort did scare him. But he could be defeated. If that weakling Potter could escape the Dark Lord with his skin intact, then Draco could do it.

''Show me.''

''Okay. It's just like closing your eyes, only once the connection is closed, you have to consciously open it again when you want to communicate with me. Okay, let's try it. First, you have to-oh, never mind. You have that part down pat, obviously.'' She could already feel Draco's grasp of their connection. It was like holding hands. He smiled at her.

''Now you just have to let go. Close your mind off from mine, Draco. Separate yourself from my emotions.'' She could feel him pulling away, and then his presence in her mind was gone.''That's good. You did it.'' She was glad he'd learned so quickly, but she felt incomplete without him.

Draco was satisfied. He opened the connection again, and the feeling of warmth and fulfillment returned. So did Kayla's smile. Draco felt he had mastered the technique of opening and closing his mind. And kissing an empath was as good as he'd heard it was; he could feel her emotions through their connection, and it intensified everything he felt, to the point of insanity. The good kind of insanity. He wanted more.

Kayla didn't need empathy to know what Draco wanted. They kissed, and Kayla felt that this made up for having to live in the armpit of Europe. Draco felt her contentment, but didn't understand it. What, she thought that this was as good as it got? He pulled back suddenly. Kayla looked at him, confused. Draco pushed her down onto the bed. Kayla raised an eyebrow, but didn't resist. He knew she wouldn't let him go too far with her; she wasn't a Slytherin, trying to get in his good graces. He liked that.

''What are you up to?'' All she could detect was a respectful, if determined, intent.

''You'll see.'' Draco lowered his lips to her neck, kissing her slowly, wondering if it was possible for skin as dark as Kayla's to show hickeys, as he began to apply more pressure in a teasing, circular motion.

''Mmmm...Draco...''

*beep* *beep* *beep*

Draco lifted his head for a second.

''What the hell is that?''

"Licuadora. It seems we've used up our lunch period. Sorry, Draco. We've got Charms in about ten minutes." She smiled at him and slid off the bed.

Draco exhaled rather loudly, and closed his end of the connection. It was hard enough to concentrate with his own emotions in his mind, let alone Kayla's. She wasn't kidding.

"We're going to have to continue this later," he muttered. He watched her slip into her robes, and quickly put his own back on. Draco glanced at himself in the mirror. His hair looked horrible. He reached for the comb on his dresser. Kayla stopped him, grinning mischievously.

"No, leave it. I was just thinking, you know what everyone's going to think we did up here. Why not encourage the rumors a little bit?" She tousled her own hair, not that she needed to.

Draco stared at her, surprised.

"You're brilliant. I was just thinking the same thing, but I didn't think you'd go for it. I thought you'd be worried about-"

"My reputation? Draco, I'm worried about a few more important things right now. Like why I'm supposed to pretend I don't know you if your father asks. And why he would ask in the first place. I just figured it had something to do with me being in Gryffindor, and that it would help if everyone thought we weren't serious, just messing around. The way Pansy was acting, it's like you're betrothed or something. Or at least, like you can only date someone from Slytherin. Am I right?"

"Something like that." Draco made a half-hearted attempt to smooth his hair down, so it at least looked as though he'd tried, but didn't have enough time for the usual slicked back look. Kayla was putting on some shiny lip tint. When she was done, she grabbed Draco and kissed him. He didn't object, but when he came up for air, he warned, "We're going to be late."

"I know," Kayla said with a grin. She stopped Draco from wiping the gloss from his mouth, and they left the dormitory, receiving plenty of stares and odd looks from those still in the hall. Kayla had to resist the urge to laugh. They didn't look that bad, but Draco usually looked perfect, so a thread out of place was extremely noticeable on him. And he had smears of her lip tint on his lips, and his hair was just slightly tousled.

He was a marked man.

Draco and Kayla entered Professor Flitwick's classroom just after the bell rang. Hermione stared at Kayla. Her eyes flicked to Draco briefly, and then she looked at Kayla in disbelief. Hermione mouthed silently, "Where were you?" Kayla just smiled, and decided to let Hermione figure it out on her own. She was a very bright girl, after all. Kayla had seen Hermione in action that morning during Ancient Runes. The girl must study more often then she changed her socks.

Professor Flitwick looked at the two of them disapprovingly, but they hadn't been too late, so he continued the lesson. The class was to work on 'lending intelligence' to inanimate objects. The goal was to make them seem to have minds of their own, using a very complicated spell. Kayla cracked her knuckles loudly. Charms was her best subject. She couldn't wait.

While Professor Flitwick demonstrated on a small cloth doll that he had charmed to walk about a desk, Pansy glared at Draco, who noted that she must have seen Madame Pomfrey, to avoid an unsightly bruise where Kayla had punched her. He ignored her, and watched Kayla, who had taken the only other available seat, a few seats down and a row across from him.

Most of the students were struggling to get their dolls to move. Granger, of course, had hers shaking Potter's hand in moments. Kayla had her hand raised, and was asking Professor Flitwick a question. He nodded, and came over to her desk. Kayla beamed, and gave him her doll back. She then drew a rectangular pattern in the air with her wand, saying in a clear, firm voice, "Wudu Conjurare!" A small piece of wood, about six inches long, appeared on her desk. Everyone stared as Kayla pointed her wand at the piece of wood and said, "Essentia Inserere!"

A blue mist seemed to come from Kayla herself, and surrounded the wood. It looked as if there was a tiny tempest on her desk. The mist cleared, and in the place of the wood, was a tiny doll. It looked up at everyone crowded around the desk, and said in a small voice that sounded just like Kayla's,''Wow, I can't believe it worked! Wait until I tell Nicole!''

Kayla laughed at herself. Hermione stared at the little wooden facsimile of Kayla, fascinated.

''How did you do that?" cried Hermione. Professor Flitwick applauded his new student, saying , ''The curriculum at your former school must be highly advanced! Do explain how you managed to conjure and charm a miniature version of yourself, Miss Ross!''

Kayla was a little uncomfortable at all of the attention she was receiving. Both the real and the wooden one; Ron had poked Mini-Kayla with his quill, and she threatened to give him the mother of all splinters where the sun don't shine. Harry almost died laughing.

''Well, I just used the standard conjuring spell, and conjured the wood in the amount I felt I would need. Then I inserted my own essence into the wood, and here she is. I think I'll send her to my parents. Dad will love her.'' Kayla smiled.

''What is she wearing?'' asked Parvati, who had come over from her desk to see what the commotion was about.

Kayla looked closely at herself. ''A Braves jersey. That's hilarious. Hey, turn around, would you?''

Mini-Kayla raised her eyebrows, but turned around. On the back of her shirt, a tiny number 25 was visible, with the letters A. Jones over it. Kayla burst out laughing at this.

''What's so funny?'' asked Hermione curiously.

''It's so cute, look, she's wearing my favorite baseball player's jersey and everything. I can't believe the spell worked that well. I wonder, do you have all of my memories too?'' Kayla asked Mini-Kayla.

Mini-Kayla smirked at her. "I know what you were doing ten minutes ago,'' she said, winking cheekily.

Kayla coughed, and said, ''Okay, that's enough,'' while everyone around her, especially Lavender and Parvati, gave each other knowing looks. Draco smiled to himself.

Hermione, however, was scribbling notes like a madwoman. ''What did you say that conjuring spell was? And why haven't we learned it yet, Professor?''

''Actually, I didn't learn it in school. I learned it from my Grandmother. It's Conjurare, and the Latin of whatever you want to conjure.'' Kayla couldn't help but smile at Hermione's earnest attitude. What, was this the first time anyone had known a spell that she hadn't already mastered? 

Then she remembered something her grandmother had said, and added hastily, ''But don't try to conjure something too big or powerful, okay? Conjuring takes energy from your own supply of it, and it can severely weaken you if you tried to conjure a living being or something. That's a bad idea, especially if the thing you're conjuring has a brain. It might realize that it will no longer exist if the energy you've given it runs out, and try to steal more energy from you.''

Mini-Kayla looked up at her sadly. ''How long have I got?'' she asked desolately. Kayla smiled at her.

''It didn't take a lot of energy to conjure the wood you're based on, but I can always renew the spell when it runs out. You should exist for a few days without renewing. Feel better?''

''No!'' she cried. ''What about the playoffs? The Braves have the NL East sewn up! I'll miss it!''

Most of the class had no idea what Mini-Kayla was talking about. Kayla tried to explain baseball, and the divisional playoffs, but it was pretty much hopeless. Dean sympathized, being a passionate soccer fan, and having no one from West Ham to commiserate with. Kayla consoled the little doll, while Professor Flitwick went to help some of the more desperate students (sorry, Neville).

Draco had noticed Kayla's precision and expertise with casting spells and charms. He saw potential for more. He wished she'd been sitting closer so they could talk. It occurred to him to utilize the connection between them. He sent a bit of urgency to her, and she turned immediately. She glanced at him for a second, and then an idea seemed to spark in her mind. She beckoned to the little wooden duplicate of herself, and whispered in her ear. The doll nodded, and hopped off the desk. A tiny voice shouted, ''Ow!''

Ron stared at the little doll, which was walking across the floor. As it passed his feet, he wondered aloud, ''Where does she think she's going?''

''Feminine matters, Ron,'' said Kayla with a straight face.

Ron stared at her in disbelief. Hermione and Kayla looked at each other and burst out laughing. Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder and said solemnly,''I think you've been had, mate.''

''Ha, ha, very funny,'' muttered Ron.

Meanwhile, Mini-Kayla had found her way across the room to Draco, who felt a tug at his pant leg. He looked down and saw the little doll smiling at him. He lifted her up and set her on his desk. She looked exactly the way Kayla had the first time he'd seen her. Except that she was made of wood, and much, much smaller.

''Hi Draco!'' she said happily. Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing, and shielded the new occupant of his desk from the prying eyes of Pansy, who was practically craning her neck to see what Draco was looking at.

''Tell Kayla,'' he whispered to the tiny doll, ''that I want to talk to her after class. Tell her to meet me in the library in two hours. Got it?'' Mini-Kayla nodded. Then she lowered her head and toed the desk timidly. ''Can I come too?'' Draco sighed. ''Yes, you can come too.'' The doll brightened. Draco got an idea. He told the doll, ''Maybe you should ask Kayla to make a smaller version of me. Would you like that?'' Mini-Kayla grinned so big her face threatened to split in two. She hugged Draco's hand fiercely.

''Would I? That would be...awesome,'' whispered Mini-Kayla excitedly. Her eyes glazed over. Draco rolled his eyes. Mini-Kayla snapped out of it, and assured Draco that she would deliver his message. He set her down on the floor carefully, and she ran back to Kayla as fast as her tiny legs would carry her. She paused when she reached Ron's feet, and jumped purposely on his left shoe.

''Ow!'' yelled Ron. He glanced down at his foot when he heard someone giggle. Mini-Kayla ran and hid behind Hermione's heel. Hermione looked down and asked her, ''What did you do that for?'' as she picked her up and set her on Kayla's desk. Mini-Kayla insisted that Ron had started it, and Kayla cracked up at that.

''Do you have anything to tell me?'' Kayla asked her. Mini-Kayla nodded, and climbed onto Kayla's shoulder. ''Sorry, Hermione, it's a secret,'' she told Hermione, who rolled her eyes, and decided to spend the last five minutes of class going over all the new spells they'd learned. Kayla nodded at the first few things Mini-Kayla said, and then stared at her in surprise at the last. The doll looked up hopefully.

''I should have known,'' Kayla muttered. ''Please?'' begged the little doll, clasping her hands. ''Oh, all right,'' Kayla said, exasperated. ''But that's it. No more. Next you'll have me conjuring a little Nicole so you can gossip with her.'' Mini-Kayla considered, but then assured Kayla with a creepy little tone in her voice, ''Oh, don't worry. Once you've conjured Draco, I won't need a little Nicole. I won't have time to talk to her. Hee hee!''

Kayla looked at the little doll, horrified. ''I did not need to hear that. Thanks a lot. You know, I'm not going to conjure him now, if that's what you've got planned.''

Mini-Kayla cried out, ''No, I was just kidding! Really!'' Kayla covered her face with her hands. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and anyone else who happened to be looking were rewarded with the image of Kayla being pummeled in protest by a 6 inch wooden version of herself. Who realized she was making a scene, and quieted down almost immediately. Kayla was just glad that no one else had heard the little doll's last request. Class was dismissed for the afternoon, and Kayla decided to finally get over to the library with Hermione.

''Hey, hold on a minute,'' squeaked a little voice from Kayla's pocket.

Kayla glanced down as they walked to the library.

''What is it? And watch what you say. I can just send Mom and Dad a letter, and un-conjure your little ass.''

Mini-Kayla gulped.

"Never mind..."


	5. Chapter Four: Insensitive Instruction

Chapter Four- Insensitive Instruction 

Author's Note: Thanks to those of you who reviewed, (Rebuky! Brittney! *glomps*) and itchy, red corneas to those of you who didn't. A big hug to my beta, Jess. She's the best. Go read her fics. Here's a nice, convenient link: Jess' fics. Anyway, here's Chapter Four. I'm not bothering with the damn disclaimers. You know what I own, and what I don't own. See the prologue for details, if you insist on being a dolt.

Fate vs. Free Will

Chapter Four: Insensitive Instruction

By nycscribe46

When they arrived at the library, Hermione introduced Kayla to Madame Pince, who was delighted to find a new student who admittedly spent a lot of time in the library, reading up on obscure topics. The astral plane was obscure to most people, Kayla thought. But she'd put a lot of those 'theories' into practice just that morning. And people with the Sight didn't really go around broadcasting it. She sure wasn't going to.

Kayla followed Hermione to an unoccupied table, and they set down their bags. Kayla was still smiling, remembering the look on Ron's face when Hermione asked him and Harry if they wanted to come to the library with the two of them. Harry had sighed and looked as though he might be dragged along, but Ron had looked as though she'd asked him if he wanted his legs waxed. He proceeded to drag Harry back to Gryffindor tower, muttering about insane girls who acted like the O.W.L.s were the day after tomorrow, rather than eight entire months away.

"So," Kayla said to Hermione innocently. "What's going on with you and Ron, anyway?"

"Nothing," Hermione snapped irritably, and then caught herself. A hasty denial is often a sign of guilt. "I mean, we're just friends. He'd never say anything, even if he did, you know, like me like that."

"Oh," said Kayla, in a voice that was meant to convey understanding, but came out sounding more patronizing than anything else. It didn't help that Kayla was trying to hide a smirk.

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know what Lavender and Parvati said-"

"You know, the curriculum here really is something, isn't it," Kayla said brightly, hastily changing the subject. "I mean, it seems mainly designed to prepare students for life in the wizarding world, doesn't it?"

"Well, yes, of course it is. That's the whole point," said Hermione, wondering what Kayla was getting at.

"Yeah, but what if you want to work in the Muggle world? Nothing here will prepare you for that. I haven't seen a single computer. I mean, I know the place is old fashioned, but there isn't even a high school equivalency! You don't get a degree or anything?"

Hermione frowned. Kayla waited for her response.

"Well, I can see your point. I guess if you want to work in the Muggle world, you have to go to a Muggle school, then. I don't think we have a big enough staff to start teaching enough Muggle classes to even come close to something approaching a high school equivalency-" Hermione broke off, thinking. Until she was eleven, all she'd ever wanted was to go to med school and become a neurosurgeon. She knew now that she was a witch, and magic was a part of her. She didn't want to live and work in a world where she couldn't use magic, but even if she did, if she continued to go to Hogwarts and become a full fledged witch, the option was lost to her.

"It's not really fair, is it?" Kayla said. "It's like we're all being trapped into working in the wizarding world. Lord knows if half the children here went to work for IBM or Microsoft, there'd be a labor shortage on this side of the realm. My old schools aren't like that. Manhattan Intra Secular is designed to prepare you for both worlds, so you can choose. I lived in a magically integrated community in Atlanta, so my elementary and middle schools were the same. When I saw the course requirements for Hogwarts, I really wondered, but-" 

Kayla stopped suddenly, and really looked at Hermione.

"You're muggle-born, aren't you."

The way Kayla said it was eerily reminiscent of Draco Malfoy, and it gave Hermione the creeps, but she answered truthfully.

"Yes. What of it?" Hermione steeled herself, preparing for a pureblooded tongue-lashing.

"Nothing," said Kayla calmly. "You knew what I was talking about, and you didn't ask what IBM or Microsoft was. It's obvious-you must have gotten those diligent study habits from a Muggle school. Fine establishments, they are."

Hermione nodded. Something about what Kayla had said was prickling at her mind.

"What did you mean by 'magically integrated community'?"

"Oh, that. Everyone in our district knows we're witches. They have known since, what? My grandparents-add a few dozen greats to that-back in the 1700's. They opened an apothecary-odd that, the family business, and I can't make a potion to save my life, never mind someone else's-and medical hospice. You know, people will overlook or keep quiet about a lot of things once you've saved their husband from sure death."

"But-" Hermione was a little shocked. Things were very different in America, apparently. "How is that possible? I mean, here there are whole sections of the Ministry designed to keep Muggles in the dark, and there you all are, performing magic in hospitals-"

"You misunderstand me," Kayla interrupted, trying not to laugh. "Okay. Let's start over. People in our district, which is a very small portion of a very large city, are mostly witches. The Muggles, who happen to live there as well, know that we are witches. They don't care, because we don't try to keep it from them, and we haven't used our magic for anything but good for hundreds of years. My aunt and uncle, who work at the hospice, are licensed doctors, who happen to be a witch and wizard. The only magic they use on a regular basis is magical stasis, rather than anesthesia, because it's better for you anyway.

The schools in our district are run by Muggles, who hire witches to teach the classes with magical subject matter, but for the most part it's mixed. We all learn math, science, and reading together. That's how I grew up. If I'd stayed in Atlanta, I'd be going to the Academy with my cousin, learning everything you all have here, except for Muggle Studies of course, and earning a high school diploma. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it, and it's what I'm used to. When my parents find out about this curriculum, they'll probably let me go back to the Academy. I'll just visit on holidays." Kayla sighed, thinking about Draco. Maybe she wouldn't tell her parents just yet.

Hermione was busy processing the information she'd just heard. She loved Hogwarts, and it was the best school in Europe, but it definitely came up short in comparison to these American schools, especially when it came to job opportunities. Hermione bit her lip. She turned to see what Kayla was doing. The other girl had been leafing through Hermione's copy of _Hogwarts, A History_. 

"Hmm," said Kayla.

"What?" Hermione was at least comforted by the fact that she'd read the book from cover to cover, and there were no shocking revelations that could be made from its' contents.

"Oh, it says here that the school is controlled directly by the Ministry of Magic and a board of senators."

"Yes, that's true…why are you bringing that up?" Hermione looked at Kayla warily.

"It certainly explains why the curriculum is like that. I mean, old fashioned is one thing-you know, the candles, the quills and ink, the whole robes for uniforms thing-but anything that deprives the students of a proper education is either an amazingly enormous lapse in judgment, or something caused by the Board of Education, in this case the Ministry, deliberately and with an ulterior motive." Kayla said all this while still skimming the pages of Hermione's book, and completely missed the look on the other girl's face.

Hermione was absolutely horrified at the notion that Hogwarts was merely a front for wizarding Britain to cultivate and utilize a work force. She opened her mouth to say something in Hogwarts' defense, but nothing came to her usually sharp mind. 

"Uh…"

"Or maybe I'm just a cynic, eh? I would think that, because it would be so much fun to go to the same school as Nikki again. Nikki's my cousin, by the way. Want to see a picture?"

Kayla had set the book aside, still oblivious to the distress her comments had wrought upon poor Hermione, and began to rummage through her bag for her wallet.

"See, this is Nikki and me with Andruw, and us with Chipper, and us with Javy-oh, he's so cute when he's smiling, isn't he?" Kayla looked up at Hermione, and finally noticed her ashen face and somber _expression.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Hermione distractedly, looking at Kayla's pictures. Oddly enough, the young men posing with the two girls in each photo were each wearing the same color t-shirt. She noticed that Kayla and her cousin looked incredibly alike. She couldn't tell them apart, even when comparing the photos to the girl beside her.

"Which one are you? You guys look like twins, especially with those hats and matching jerseys on."

"That's me," Kayla said, pointing. "Nikki's hair is longer, see? And our noses are different, but I guess you can't really tell that much from a picture. Especially when we're both grinning like fools." Kayla pointed to yet another picture. "Man, Nikki almost died when J.T. put his arm around her. What a nice guy, huh? Even though he's a Giant, and it was so obvious that we were Braves fans, he still took a picture with us."

"A giant?"

Kayla rolled her eyes.

"Yes. 1st baseman for the San Francisco Giants. A baseball team, and not the one we support, at that. Nikki would not shut up about it. I think she's a closet Giants fan, the little bugger. I won't rub it in, but she wants him bad. Oooh-hoo, am I gonna have fun with this." Kayla smirked evilly. Can't blame her, she thought. J.T. Snow _was _cute…

Hermione's hands trembled slightly as she set Kayla's photos down on the table. She hadn't been completely distracted from what Kayla had been saying about Hogwarts. It was only growing in her mind, becoming bigger and bigger until it seemed to devour her future and the future of everyone else in one gulp.

"I have to talk to someone about this," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Kayla couldn't understand her words; she'd said them too quietly.

"I have to do something about the curriculum!" Hermione cried.

"Er, Hermione?" Kayla glanced around nervously, hoping no one had noticed Hermione's little outburst. "Calm down, okay? It's not that serious. It's not like you were going to be a make-up counter girl, anyway. You're a natural born witch."

"I know, but it just doesn't seem right," Hermione said, her voice sounding almost painfully tight.

"Look, maybe I'm wrong. What do I know? I'm just a kid with a big mouth that doesn't have a mute button," Kayla pleaded, using one of Nikki's favorite nicknames for her. "Don't do anything drastic." 

Kayla saw the look of determination on Hermione's face as she began to gather her things.

"Hoo boy."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

As Hermione marched straight to the Headmaster's office, seemingly deaf to Kayla's pleas to just forget the whole thing and have a nice sit, Kayla had decided that there was only one other option. She didn't know Hermione all that well, and in her opinion, the girl was out of her gourd. She needed backup. So she went to Gryffindor tower, in search of the only two people who might be able to talk some sense into her.

"Hi!" Kayla said, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt, to the first red haired person she saw. "Have you seen Ron? Or Harry, maybe?"

"They're in their room," said the boy. "Why? Has something happened?"

"Not yet, hopefully. Thanks, err…"

"George Weasley. And you are?"

"In desperate need of your brother. See ya!" And with that, Kayla ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, leaving a slightly miffed Weasley behind her, and unceremoniously shoved open the door marked '5th Years'.

"Hey! You can't just come in here like that! I could have been changing!" said an indignant blond haired boy with an Irish accent.

"Like anybody would want to see _that_," Kayla said snappishly, and then she turned to Harry and Ron, who were snorting with laughter.

Seamus was not amused. He glared at the two of them, and made a face at Kayla, who was oblivious.

"Listen you guys, Hermione's gone off the deep end."

The laughter stopped

"Wha-"

"Honestly, all I did was present a theory on the economic state of the wizarding world, and how it might be a cause to the effect of the miseducation of Hogwarts students, and suddenly she's marching off to the Headmaster's office, talking about changing the curriculum. As if any of us can actually do such a thing. What's _wrong_ with that girl, anyway? Does she _want_ to be expelled for insubordination? Or do they not do that kind of thing here?"

Ron glanced at Harry, who was smiling.

"If they did, we wouldn't be sitting here right now, to tell you the truth."

"Yeah, listen Kayla, Hermione's always been like this. The girl has to have a cause, and lucky you, you happened to present her with one. Too bad she wasn't here for spew, eh Harry?" Ron elbowed Harry, and grinned.

Harry laughed.

Kayla frowned.

"Spew?"

"Yeah, Hermione tried to liberate the house elves last year. They didn't take it very well, though," Harry explained, although it was the understatement of the year.

"So you're saying that Hermione Granger is Miss 'Let's Start a Revolution' of Hogwarts, and I've overreacted and run all the way up here for nothing." Kayla sighed.

"Yeah, you could say that," said Ron, amused. "That's a new name for her", he thought.

Kayla plopped down on the bed beside the two boys and put her head in her hands.

"Arrgh," she said. Then she looked up sheepishly at Seamus. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," Kayla said awkwardly.

"Oh, it's all right," he assured her. Good natured guy that he was, Seamus wouldn't hold a grudge, especially if she'd been distraught when she'd said it. Besides, he didn't much care what Kayla's opinion of him was; he'd had his eye on another Gryffindor in their year for a while now. Seamus smiled at Kayla, and told Harry and Ron he'd see them later, as he went to go find the object of his affection.

"So, this school must be pretty lenient with the students, then? If she can just go up to the headmaster and tell him she thinks that the lesson plan is wrong?" Kayla asked Ron.

"Well, I don't think Dumbledore'd expel her for a thing like that. Jeez, were you in military school or something?" Ron said incredulously.

"No, but you know. Most adults don't like being told that they're wrong, especially by someone they consider to be a child. And-"

*beep* *beep* *beep*

"Oh crap," Kayla muttered, looking at her timepiece.

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.

A tiny yawn escaped from Kayla's bag.

"What is that noise? I was sleeping!" a small voice squeaked angrily.

"Oh shut up, you. We're late. Sorry, Ron, Harry, but I have to go. See you at dinner, okay?" Kayla grabbed her bag, waved goodbye, and dashed out the door in much the same way she'd come in.

"Oookay," said Ron, watching the smoke trail Kayla had left behind as she ran out of the room at the speed of a mad bludger.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Kayla raced down the hall, cursing and ignoring the muffled cries of the doll in her bag, who was protesting at being jostled about, as she finally arrived at the library. She tried to smooth her hair a bit, as she walked in slowly, glancing around. She was at least ten minutes late. She sighed, and walked down an aisle, the one where Madame Pince had said the main texts on the astral plane and its effects upon the mortal plane were housed.

There she saw Draco, reading one of the large, dusty volumes. He didn't look up, but she could see the beginnings of a smile on his lips. She couldn't help it, when she saw him she smiled as well, and went over to see what he was reading.

"Hi," she said, her voice a soft whisper, as she smoothed the page he was turning, and read the words upon it silently

__

The astral plane; the sector between this world and the next; the vast, immeasurable place where souls of unrest and the undead exist in a state of consciousness. Few understand it, and fewer still are possessed of the capability to navigate its infinite depths. It is unwise to attempt to enter the astral plane without a guide, but it is possible, using various potions and ill-advised spells, mainly of the dark variety. However, these methods can only bring one's soul to the place of unrest; they are incapable of returning one to either the plane of the living, or the plane of the dead. There is no escape from the astral plane, if indeed one without the sight or a liaison to a Sighted One has so chosen to venture into the depths of discord.

Draco closed the book suddenly. Kayla straightened, looking up at him questioningly.

"What is it? Everything seems to make sense to me, except for-"

Draco looked at her, his eyes fixated intensely upon her own.

"Except for what?"

"Well, I think I know why you could talk to me in the astral plane last night. I mean, at first I didn't really think you were there. I saw Harry there too, and-"

Draco's eyes widened. He had seized Kayla's arms tightly and drew her to him before she even realized that he had moved.

"You saw Potter? What does that mean?" He said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists, his fingernails digging into her arms.

"Nothing! It doesn't mean anything at all, Draco!" Kayla tried to keep the panic out of her voice as she struggled against his iron grip. 

"Oh, really? Is there something I should know, Kayla? Anyone else you happen to be having a "_liaison"_ with?" 

"No! Draco, listen to me. That book was not written by someone with the Sight. There are a lot of things it doesn't even go into. Like what, exactly, someone with the Sight sees when they are in the astral plane."

"Trapped souls? The one you love?" Draco's voice betrayed his emotions; the sarcasm in the last sentence he uttered was palpable. 

"No," Kayla said firmly. "Not really. I see many things. I see the souls of the undead, yes, but I also see the souls of the living. But they're not really there. I just see their astral counterparts. There are billions, one for every living sentient being. Of course, I can't recognize all of them, because I don't _know_ all of those people. But I know Harry because I've met him, and I know you. I also saw Hermione Granger there. But they weren't actually present. Do you see what I mean?"

Draco nodded slowly. He relaxed his grip slightly, and she continued.

"But when I saw you, it wasn't just a shadow of your soul, or your astral counterpart. It was _you_. You saw me, and you talked to me. You might not realize it because you were asleep at the time, but you did. And that shouldn't even be possible. Unless you have the Sight-which you don't; trust me, you would have known since you were a baby-or, like the book says, a-" Kayla tried not to laugh at the word, "liaison with someone who does."

She looked up at him. He looked a bit flustered, as he considered what she'd said. Then a look of gleeful maliciousness came over his features.

"So you're saying that because we're together, our magic has become cohesive, and I can roam the astral plane, just as you do. Right?"

Kayla grinned. She knew he'd understand eventually. Draco released her arms and took her hand instead.

"Smart boy. Yes, I think so. I'm going to write to my grandmother, just to make sure. She has the same gifts, and more. If anyone can explain this properly, she can."

"You do that. In the meantime, I want you to tell me everything you can about the Sight. I want to know what my capabilities are. What our capabilities are. But not here. We need to go somewhere more private." Draco's gray eyes glittered. 

Kayla found herself captivated by the legendary Malfoy charisma, which, once engaged, can be devastating. He oozed power and dominance, but at the same time he wanted and needed her.

It was intoxicating.

"Okay," Kayla said breathlessly. "Where to?"

"You'll see." Draco glanced around surreptitiously, and smirked, taking Kayla's hand as they walked down the aisle and exited the library.

And Pansy Parkinson appeared out of thin air, placed an even stronger concealing charm on herself, and followed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

"Is everything to do with Slytherin down in the dungeons?"

Draco laughed, at both Kayla's question, and at her suspicious tone.

"I suppose so. Although the location of this particular place has nothing to do with Slytherin, and everything to do with discretion."

Kayla rolled her eyes.

"Okay. I figure it's plenty secretive, because who in their right mind would want to come down here anyway?" She shivered, hating the chill of the place.

"Someone who has plans that they don't want the entire school to overhear," Draco said as they neared the end of a dark corridor. "Because no one with any sense would discuss sensitive information in a public area. Unless they _wanted _someone to hear them, of course." Draco turned suddenly, and stared at a spot directly in front of him, seemingly empty of anything at all.

Kayla concentrated silently. Yes, there was someone there, but she didn't recognize the signature. 

Draco drew out his wand.

"Come now, Pansy," he drawled. "Did you really sit there and listen to us talk, and not learn _anything_? I know you're there. You really ought to come out voluntarily; the only revealing spell I can think of at the moment is quite painful when performed on living things." Draco smirked devilishly, and was delighted to see a matching _expression on Kayla's face as well, before Pansy finally appeared before them, an angry look on her homely face.

"You're disgusting," she spat at Draco.

"Thank you," Draco said coolly. "And you're incredibly stupid." With that, he stupefied her, and levitated her still form a few inches off the ground.

"That was brilliant," Kayla said proudly. "How did you know she was in the library?"

"I could sense her. I see what you mean by feeling the souls of the people you know. Of course, you couldn't tell it was Pansy, but-" Draco stopped and looked at Kayla seriously. "Kayla, you should have felt that there was _someone _following us. Just because you can't see a threat doesn't mean it isn't there. You don't use your power the way you should. Now I see why you were put in Gryffindor. You're going to have to learn a few things."

Kayla resisted the urge to take offense at Draco's words. He was right; she should have been looking out for them. It was just lucky that Draco had been using their power openly, and sensed Pansy from the beginning.

"Right. So what are you going to do with her?" she said, nodding at the floating body at their feet.

"Oh, we'll just bring her along. I'll erase her memory later." Draco turned and appeared to be staring at the wall.

"Okay…Draco, what are you doing?" As far as Kayla could tell, he seemed to be contemplating the bricks.

"Ah, here it is." Draco pressed his hand against the wall, and muttered an incantation. The wall emitted a hissing sound. Draco winced, and pulled his hand back. Blood flowed freely from his palm.

"What the hell?" Kayla grabbed Draco's hand and murmured a healing spell, looking at him curiously. "What exactly were you trying to do?"

"Not trying. Did. See?" Draco pointed at the wall, which as far as Kayla could tell, was unchanged despite his efforts. There wasn't even any blood on it.

"I don't see anything."

Draco looked at her quizzically. "It worked. There's a doorway, see? I know it's small, but-you mean, you really can't see it?" A light seemed to go on in Draco's eyes.

"Oh. Never mind. Come on, then." He took Kayla's hand and pulled her into the wall.

"Aughh!" Kayla cried, expecting to smack her head soundly on a solid brick wall, and really starting to scream when she went right through it, and everything went black..

"Why is it so dark?" Kayla asked, once she had gotten herself under control again. "And furthermore, what the hell is going on? Where are we?" She stood, folding her arms across her chest. It was so dark, she could barely make out Draco, and Pansy's floating form, just in front of her. She could feel steps beneath her feet, and followed Draco down the stairs.

"On our way to that private place I was telling you about," Draco replied. "We're not really in Hogwarts anymore. You can thank my great-uncle Morgoth [A/N: What?! ;)] for the darkness. He created this place. Apparently, since you aren't a Malfoy, and really shouldn't be here, you can't see it. Oh, and try not to touch the walls. I'm not sure what will happen if anyone who isn't a Malfoy touches anything. Hmm…I have an idea."

Famous last words, thought Kayla. And then her head was split open. At least, that's what it felt like. And evidently, the rest of her body was jealous of all the attention her head was getting, and decided to join in on the fun. Kayla screamed and struggled to remain standing, but the pain was too much. She collapsed and leaned against the wall heavily. Nothing happened. 

"Well, I can see that it worked," Draco started. 

Kayla's glare halted his words.

"What. Did. You. Do."

"Congratulations, Kayla. You're a Malfoy. I'm sorry if it's not the wedding you've always dreamed of, but pain is the Malfoy way, and I'll bet it was better than the way people are usually initiated into this family." He reached out a hand and pulled Kayla up. She was still glaring at him, but looked a little confused.

"What the..."

Kayla was looking around, realizing that they had reached the end of the tunnel, and were surrounded by opulence. Apparently Draco's great-uncle Morgoth [A/N: *Snerk*] was quite flashy. Everything was a gleaming silver and jade.

"Kind of showy, isn't it?" Draco remarked, giving Pansy a good kick, as she floated underneath the large bed in the center of the room.

"Yeah..." Kayla muttered, eyeing the bed. "You're right, Draco. I _don't_ want to know what your great-uncle used this place for. Where is it, exactly?"

"Hmm. Possibly inside a small white vase on my father's windowsill, but who knows, he could have been joking." Draco grinned, which only succeeded in making Kayla even more nervous.

"Wait a minute," Kayla said sharply. "How did you-what do you mean, I'm a Malfoy now?"

Draco's grin widened.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of committing incest? I won't tell if you won't."

"Cut that out, and stop smirking. I'm serious. What did you do?"

"I used our connection for something other than emotions. I'm surprised you haven't tried it before, actually." Draco's grin faded. "You really are too innocent, my dear. There are so many things I could teach you. And I've only been conscious of this gift of ours for a few hours. Imagine how powerful you could become. How powerful we could become together." He sat down on the bed, and motioned for her to sit beside him. She did, never removing her eyes from his. "Was the pain so unbearable, Kayla? Could you go through it again, if the rewards were great? I would. Go ahead. Try it."

"Try what?" Kayla said in a voice filled with uncertainty.

"What I did to you. Do it to me. I added you to my family's bloodline, by altering yours a bit. You look a little different now, but still as beautiful as ever. I'm sure it goes a bit further than your looks, though." Draco opened a drawer in an intricately carved bureau, and pulled out a silver mirror. He held it in front of her.

Kayla stared at herself. Her eyes-they were the same stormy gray as Draco's. She blinked, but they were still the same. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She looked up at Draco in shock..

"I can't-what am I going to do?" she cried.

"Relax. I can put a spell on them. No one will know. And I'll do the same to myself once you've changed me."

"I'm not going to do it."

"Why not? I can take the pain. It _would _be interesting," Draco murmured, thinking of himself with Kayla's formerly coal-like eyes, or perhaps her dark hair.

"Draco, this is really weird," Kayla said, still staring at her eyes. She barely recognized herself. "Did my blood type change too?"

"Depends. What was it before? I'm B negative."

"I was O positive. Oh my God, I can't believe this." Kayla ran her hands through her hair nervously, and nearly shrieked. It felt so strange. Thankfully, it was still black. But the texture was straighter, and more fine than it had ever been. The strongest hair relaxer couldn't produce hair like this. She wondered if it would ever grow the same again. She began to laugh. Thanks to Draco, she'd never have to get a perm again.

"What's so funny?" Draco demanded.

"You just saved me a hundred bucks per month, that's what," Kayla said, between laughs. She shook her head. Maybe my hair will finally grow out, she thought. A little voice in the back of her mind was saying that this was wrong, that she shouldn't be letting this happen. She should make Draco reverse the spell. 

"But there is no spell," Draco whispered in her ear, as if he were reading her mind. "Just the connection between us; that's all I used. That's all you need. That, and whatever you can think of. The possibilities are endless, Kayla. It all depends on how far you're willing to go. It's not like we're hurting anyone."

"But how-I mean, I thought we could only send each other emotions. What you're saying you just did is like transferring genetic code. That's-that's impossible." Kayla was stammering, and felt as though she was short of breath.

"Nothing is impossible, Kayla. Impossible means we just haven't figured out how yet. And the boundary of emotions only seems to apply to you alone, Kayla. You're an empath. Obviously, our connection doesn't play by the same rules as your empathic abilities."

Things aren't so clear cut anymore, are they? Draco's voice whispered in Kayla's mind.

No, they aren't, she replied grimly, speaking to him in the same way he'd spoken to her. Well, my grandmother is going to get an extremely long letter tonight. Kayla tried to remember exactly what her grandmother's prophecy had said. It had been really vague and annoying. Something about being confused? Well, she sure was.

Wait…Is your grandmother a seer? Draco's mental voice suddenly asked.

Yes…are you reading my mind?!?

Heh. Maybe.

Cut that out!

Why? Something you don't want me to know about? Hmm. That's quite an image, but I don't own any leather trousers…

Draco!

Not yet, anyway… If you like, I'll buy some. If you promise that someday we'll do what you were imagining that we were doing.

*groan*

Wow. That was even better than my dream.

*mental slap*

Ooh! Please ma'am, may I have another?

Then she slapped him for real.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Heh. Even I can't stop laughing at that one. Okay, let me defend myself for a couple of things I couldn't help putting in there. #1) Yes, Draco's great uncle has the same name as everybody's favorite Dark Lord. [points and laughs at Voldemort; Ha ha! It's not you! You're in fourth place! You got beat by Morgoth, Sauron, and the Digimon Emperor! Loser!] It's just a coincidence. No, I am not planning on turning this into a Lord of the Rings crossover. I hate implausible crossover fics. You can bet your ass that Draco is not related to Legolas in _this_ fic. This ain't no Harry Potter and the One Ring. If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor-_don't._ It's HORRIBLE! Aieee! #2) Do you _really_ want to imagine who Morgoth would have brought to such a room? With a king size bed in it? *shudders* And oh yeah, please review, and feel free to ask questions if there's anything that doesn't seem to make sense. And I beg you, please notify the author of any plot holes. They're embarrassing, and I will love you forever if you tell me before I get a slew of emails making fun of me for it. Thanks. 


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